


Westward Bound

by calamitysam687



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Canonical Character Death, Cowboy Ben Solo, Ranching, Rey Nobody, Tags Are Hard, This was supposed to be really short, Western AU, also big ups to rey's parents, anways, bandit kylo ren, ben solo is an emo mr. darcy fight me, brief and minor OC, death frequently mentioned but not seen, everybody loves rey, my version of stardew valley meets gunsmoke, rey inherits a ranch and moves west, rip obi-wan I had to do it to him, she said as she probably ends up bumping the chapter count, so it's basically a western, some fluff I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25102981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calamitysam687/pseuds/calamitysam687
Summary: Rey Johnson was a nobody, having spent her life working for her cousin and guardian Unkar Plutt. But when a mysterious letter arrives, offering her a new future in the Arizona territory town of Tatooine, she leaves everything behind. Will she be prepared for the small town atmosphere, hard work of ranch life, and the mysterious man who returns to town just after her? Or will fate bring her down a different path?Sorry I suck at summaries- Rey inherits Ben Kenobi's ranch, and moves out west to start a better life.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 24
Kudos: 50





	1. Will and Testament

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! In all honesty, I had absolutely no intention of writing this fic. I've been working on a super-duper long dark!rey fic, but pacing is hard and I've kind of hit a wall. While I was waiting for genius to strike me so I could finish that magnum opus, the sound of my parents blasting The Rifleman in the background gave me this idea. Thanks MeTV, lol. Anyway, thanks for checking out this fic! I might end up bumping up the chapter count since I've already written the first few chapters, but I'll let you know if I do. Also, a rating change is fair game at the moment, but we'll see how the story unfolds. And finally, I apologize for any typos or grammatical mistakes!
> 
> TL;DR: I hope you enjoy!

The sound of horse hooves on the street outside filled the nearly-silent hotel kitchen. Ordinarily, the room was filled with the low hum of patrons inside the main dining room that managed to seep in through the swinging kitchen door. Today, however, was a slow day. Only two travelers had stopped in for their midday meal, leaving Rey with less cooking to do and more time to appreciate the fact that life carried on outside of her dismal hotel.

Well, not _her_ hotel. It belonged to that bastard, Plutt- or should she say, _dear distant-cousin Unkar_. He had moved to Chicago long before she was born to start his new life in the ever-growing city. She really would never have even known he existed except that, when her parent’s had both succumbed to illness when she was two, he turned out to be her only living relative. She’d been shipped to the city, and had lived and worked every day since in his dismal business.

“You better have cleaned the guest rooms, you lazy girl!” Plutt, ever on time, screamed as he busted through the kitchen door.

“Yes I did, sir,” she replied coolly. “And I was just finishing up the dishes from lunch.”

“Saved me some, right? I work too damn hard to be left starvin’.” As he grumbled, Rey pushed a plate at him. She hated thinking about how _little_ work he actually did, sitting up at the front desk.

“Anything else, sir?”

Plutt gulfed down one of the boiled potatoes from his now-cold plate. “Yeah, if there ain’t anybody waitin’ for nothin’ out there. Post should be in. Go get it from Billy, won’t ya?”

“Yes, sir,” Rey said. Turning away, she rolled her eyes and began to untie her apron. Once it was off, she didn’t even offer the man another word before walking out the side door. She knew that she should be grateful to him, she really did. Afterall, he had clothed her and fed her for the last eighteen years. But that didn’t change the fact that he treated her like a workhorse, and was quick to anger when he had been in the drink. Every night she dreamed of getting away from him- she fantasized about the day when her abysmal savings (she had about twenty dollars saved now) added up to a train ticket. Or even to just enough to give her time to look for a new job. She was good with horses, having been responsible for every traveler’s steed whenever they arrived to stay. Maybe she could work in a stable outside the city, or maybe find her way to a ranch somewhere out west…

Rey’s daydreaming was interrupted when she arrived at the nearest post office. Chicago was getting to be a big enough town that there was more than one, but thankfully this one was only a few minutes’ walk away from the hotel. Pushing open the door, she heard the familiar chime of the bell as she entered.

“Well if it ain’t the lovely Miss Rey!” The postman, Billy Baker, called from behind the desk. He was a kind old man, originally from one of the Virginia’s. He’d been in town since it was the size of a postage stamp, and now ran the neighborhood post office. Rey liked him; he was always nice to her, and would occasionally lend her a book to read from his personal collection.

“Afternoon, Mr. Baker. Unkar sent me in to fetch his mail.” She smiled at him, and approached the desk.

“That man has you doin’ too many jobs, Miss Rey. He needs start fetching things himself.” Rey giggled, always amused by the man’s disdain for her guardian.

“It's quite alright, I’m just glad to have an excuse to get out of that kitchen!”

Now it was Billy’s turn to laugh. “Well, alright, if you say so. Anyways, here’s Unkar’s mail.” He had reached beneath the counter, and was now handing her a small stack of envelopes. “Oh, but there also was a note in here addressed to you.”

Rey’s eyebrow’s knitted together. A letter for her? She didn’t know anyone outside of Chicago, and even those she did know lived too close to warrant writing her a letter. Had she done something wrong? Not even pausing to thank Billy, she took the separate envelope from his hand and looked at it. Sure enough, there was her name written on the front in a script she didn’t recognize. Not waiting another second, she tore it open and began to read the letter.

_To One Miss Rey Johnson,_

_I hope that this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. It is with my deepest condolences that I write to you on this 3 rd of April, 1871. I have been tasked with informing you that Mr. Benjamin Kenobi passed away on the 15th February in his home of Tatooine, Arizona Territory. Please know that, before his death, he expressed to me his satisfaction in having reached the ripe old age of seventy-eight and in having lived a “fulfilling, peaceful life.” Please also know that his passing was peaceful, and he felt no pain as he succumbed to his age in his sleep. _

_In light of these tragic events, the responsibility of contacting you has landed on myself. In accordance to Mr. Kenobi’s will, I originally sought out your parents, only to discover that they themselves had passed. I am sorry for your loss. However, as their next of kin, I am required to pass along the execution of Mr. Kenobi’s will unto you. Mr. Kenobi requested that, upon his death, that his estate of three hundred acres be left in the care of yourself and your family. It is my hope that, should you choose to retain the property, I would be the first to welcome you to our small community of Tatooine._

_Should you choose to sell the property in favor of remaining in Chicago, please write me so that I may prepare to welcome the new owner upon their arrival. However, should you choose to join us, which I certainly hope you do, please write me so I may prepare for your arrival. I look forward to hearing from you, and once again I am sorry about your loss._

_Best wishes,_

_Luke Skywalker_

“Well, missy, what does it say?” Billy stared at her, eyes wide with excitement. From the look on Rey’s face, he could tell that this was no ordinary letter. If only he knew, Rey mused, how _life changing_ the contents of this piece of mail were. Coming back to herself, Rey noted that her hand was over her mouth to hide her shock, and her eyes were just as wide as Billy’s.

“I don’t understand…” she whispered, more to herself. “I don’t even know who that man was.”

“What man? Go on, spit it out!”

“I’ve, apparently, inherited a property out in the Arizona territory.”

“Arizona? That’s practically Mexico! Who’s the poor stiff?”

Rey once again studied the name, searching her brain for any mentions of the man in her memory. “A Mr. Benjamin Kenobi,” she told the postman. “I’ve never heard of him. But apparently he knew my parent’s enough to leave them three hundred acres.”

“Three hundred acres?!” Billy all but shouted. His outburst was so loud, in fact, that several pedestrians walking outside the store stopped to look in the windows. Lowering his voice, he continued. “You’ve made it big! What else does it say?”

“The writer asked me to reply to say if I would be selling it or moving there.”

“Well, let me get you a pen and paper! If you send that off today, it’ll be in this gentleman’s hands in no time.”

Billy all but shoved a pen at Rey, and as she took it, it felt like lead in her hand. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be real! She was just some cook for Unkar Plutt’s grimy hotel. Her specialties were beef stew and a crisply-washed sheet. She didn’t have the first clue about how to run a ranch, or manage land like that. Plus, the Arizona Territory was so far away. She didn’t even have enough money to get there!

“I don’t know what to tell him, Billy.” That was all Rey could manage to say as she set the pen down on the desk, next to the freshly procured sheet of paper.

“What on earth do you mean, Rey? Don't you want to get away from that slave-driver you call a cousin?”

“I do,” she immediately countered. She wanted nothing more than that. “I don’t even have enough money to _get_ to the Arizona Territory. I can’t afford a train ticket to Salt Lake City, let alone a wagon all the way to wherever Tatooine is!”

“Miss Rey,” Billy leaned across the counter, and took her hand in his. Rey looked up from the paper to his kind eyes. “Far be it from my character to let a young lady miss out on a bright future over a train ticket. Consider it paid for.”

“Mr. Baker,” Rey croaked, “I couldn’t let you-”

“Nope, not another word!” Billy let go of her hand, letting it tap the desk top confidently instead. “You write this man back and tell him you’re coming. See if he can find you a ride from Salt Lake City. I’ll come calling as soon as you get a letter back. And if I were you, I wouldn’t let Plutt know about this until the last second.”

Rey nodded in agreement at the man’s last statement. Plutt would surely try to take the land from her, claiming it as repayment for raising her. Or worse, he would find a way to keep her away from it and working in his hotel forever. Yes, that was the right thing to do. Thanking Mr. Baker over and over, Rey then set to writing out her reply to Mr. Skywalker in as tidy a script as she could manage.

_Dear Mr. Skywalker,_

_I hope that my reply finds you in equally as good of health and spirits as yours found me. I thank you for working so hard to find me and inform me of this news- I know that it must have been difficult to locate me since the loss of my parent’s led me to Chicago. I must be honest in saying that I am rather surprised by your news. My parents never mentioned, to my best recollection, anything about Mr. Kenobi; though, I must admit that I was still quite young at the time of their passing. I ask that you ensure that I am truly the one Mr. Kenobi wrote about in his will. I would feel awful knowing that I received an undue inheritance._

_If it is true that I am the one meant for this execution of will, I am happy to inform you that I plan on coming to and permanently residing on the estate you detailed. However, as a young woman without husband or family, I am concerned about making such a long journey. I am able to procure my own travel via railroad to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, but would require transportation after that point. Do you have any suggestions? Please let me know at your earliest convenience so that I may finalize my plans. I look forward to meeting you in person, and wish you well in the coming weeks._

_Sincerely,_

_Rey Johnson._

That night, as her head hit the pillow after a long evening of work, Rey’s dreams were filled with far-off lands and new beginnings.

+++

A month and a half later, Billy Baker pounded on the side door of the hotel that led into the kitchen, knowing that the young Rey would be there preparing lunch for the hotel guests. Opening the door, Rey’s heart began to pound as the older gentleman entered the kitchen, handing her a letter in the process. Neither one spoke as she tore open the envelope, before she began to read the contents aloud.

_Dear Ms. Johnson,_

_I am elated to hear that you will be joining us here in Tatooine! I can assure you that your concerns about being the correct recipient of my letter are needless. Mr. Kenobi gave detailed instructions on how to reach your parents, so it didn’t require much sleuthing to find you thereafter. As for transportation, fear not! My sister and I own a large estate near yours, and have a coachman who is willing to journey up to Salt Lake to both enjoy some big-city fun as well as collect you once you arrive._

_If it is convenient for you, my coachman plans to arrive in Salt Lake City in four weeks from the time of this writing. I am hopeful that this will allow you enough time to settle affairs in Chicago and travel by train to Salt Lake City. If it is not, please write me as quickly as possible, or else write me confirmation that this is acceptable at your earliest convenience. I look forward to your arrival in the Arizona Territory, and to our first formal introduction._

_Best,_

_Luke Skywalker_

“Well, Miss Rey, are you ready to be a good ol’ fashioned pioneer?” Billy gave her a wide grin as she spoke, and Rey couldn't help but reciprocate. This was actually happening. There was no mistake, she was the one intended for this grand new adventure. Though tempted to ask Billy to pinch her, instead she focused on what needed to be done.

“I think I am! Now I just need to write back to Mr. Skywalker, pack my things, and tell Unkar the news.”

Billy seemed to blanch at the last item on her list. “Are you sure you don’t want to just sneak out under the cover of darkness?” Rey laughed.

“I know that would be easier,” she giggled, “but I at least owe the poor man a goodbye. If it weren’t for him I would be living in the streets of New York City.” Billy nodded sternly, and then bid the young lady adieu. When the door closed behind him, Rey couldn’t help but let out a long, deep breath. Telling Unkar would be the hardest part of this whole enterprise, which seemed silly in comparison to the daunting task that would be moving across the great nation of the United States. She still worried that he would try to keep her there, or demand some cut of the property. If there was one thing he always was seeking, it was more money for his whiskey.

As she stood there, trying to busy herself with finishing up lunch, she contemplated lying to Plutt. She could say that she had suddenly found some other family members- no, he would never buy it, since the state of New York had been certain that Plutt was her only living relative. She could tell him that she had found a gentleman caller, who sought to marry her and move west… but again, Plutt would surely demand some kind of money from the imaginary man. No, she resolved herself, she would have to just tell the truth.

It was then that Plutt barged into the kitchen, complaining about some mess in one of the guest rooms that someone (meaning Rey) would have to take care of. Speak of the devil, Rey grumbled to herself. Well, she then thought, now was as good a time as any. Better to give herself enough time to work something out if things went south.

“Sir,” Rey piped up, grabbing the countertop for strength. “I have something I need to tell you.”

“You better not be in no trouble, girl.” He growled, taking an apple out of a bowl on the counter nearest him. The sickening crunch he made as he bit into it made Rey feel slightly ill.

“No, of course not. The opposite of trouble, really.” He stared at her, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. Rey pushed on. “I received a letter a few weeks ago, and I waited to make sure it was true before I mentioned it, but… I’m leaving Chicago.”

Plutt scoffed. “And where is a poor, lonely girl like you going?”

“The Arizona Territory, actually. To a town called Tatooine.”

“Never heard of it,” he growled.

“Neither had I, but…” Rey hesitated. It was now or never. “But the letter told me that I’ve inherited some land there, and I’ve decided to go and care for it myself.” The stunned silence that filled the kitchen made Rey’s stomach drop. All she could do was wait for him to demand something, or tell her she couldn’t leave. Though, she then recognized, she was a twenty year old woman- his guardianship over her was long through. If she had to take him to court for her freedom, no matter the cost, she would.

Finally, he spoke. “You don’t expect me to pay for you to go, do you?”

“No, I’ve found my own way.” She held her breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Do I have enough time to find a new cook?”

“Yes.”

“Then go,” he said, waving her off. Rey couldn’t believe his words. “Just let me know when you’ll be leaving. I’m tired of having to feed and house my employee, anyway.” And with that, he walked out of the kitchen. Rey stood there, dumbfounded, for several minutes. Her final hurdle had been jumped. She was officially free! Her meal long forgotten, she quickly ran to find a pen and paper to write her reply to Mr. Skywalker.

A week later, she was boarding the train for Salt Lake City.


	2. Wagon Train

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I hope you've been well since I posted the first chapter. Being completely honest, I intended to post this second chapter super quickly, but then my summer classes decided to kick my butt. Anyway, here is chapter 2! Thanks so much for giving this a read, I hope you enjoy!

As the passenger train pulled into the station, Rey was excited to finally be able to walk around properly again. She couldn’t believe the generosity of Mr. Baker when she learned that he had paid for her to have a sleeper car all the way down the line- she tried fruitlessly to give him her measly twenty-five dollars in repayment. He had refused, given her a big hug, a bag of his wife’s homemade cookies, and told her to write him as soon as she arrived in Tatooine. She had cried as the train had pulled out of the station, watching him fade away into the horizon. That had been days ago- now, she was eager to begin her newest adventure by stretching her legs.

Jumping down off of the train, her trunk in tow, she searched the many faces eagerly for any sign of the coachman who was supposedly waiting for her. Much to her surprise, she found an actual sign with her name on it, held in front of a man a few years older than herself. He had curly, unkempt hair and a prominent nose. His clothes were ragged and somewhat dirty, though not in an unpleasant way. Rey assumed it was from dealing with the horses.

Approaching him, she introduced herself and offered her hand. The man took it and, instead of shaking it, gave a polite kiss to her knuckles. “What a pleasure to meet you, Miss Johnson. I’m Poe Dameron, the coachman that Mr. Skywalker sent for you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” she replied. “Thank you for coming all this way to collect me.”

“Of course, miss. Though I must be honest, I do jump at any opportunity to enjoy the more lively entertainment of big cities like this.” He smiled at Rey and winked, which made her laugh quietly. He then offered to take her bag, and when she obliged, carried it as he led her towards a small wagon down the street from the railroad station.

“If you’d like, we can spend a night here if you’d like to rest before the journey.” He offered this to her as he loaded her small bag into the wagon.

“Thank you, but I am rather eager to get to Tatooine.”

“Probably for the best. I think I’ve been thrown out of every saloon this town has, and there’s surely somebody here who’d like to teach me for being a cheater at cards.” Again, Rey laughed before allowing him to help her up and into the wagon. She had never been graceful at getting in and out of wagons and carriages, seeing as Plutt didn’t own one. But if Poe noticed, he said nothing. Climbing up onto the front himself, he ushered the single horse onwards. Rey just watched the world pass out the back of the wagon, slowly drinking in how different this town was from Chicago. The buildings were all in a different style, with tall, flat fronts and big covered porches. There were lots of people, but not nearly as many as Rey was used to. She could only imagine what the small town of Tatooine would be like.

As if reading her mind, Poe asked, “Do you think you’ll miss such a big city like Chicago?”

She paused, contemplating her answer before giving it. “No,” she said. “The hustle and bustle can be calming, but I always preferred to be more by myself.”

“That’s good,” he chuckled, “because you’re about to get a whole lot of alone where we’re heading. But the Skywalkers and the Solo’s are good people. Plus you’ll have Finn around all the time, too.”

“Solo’s? Finn?” Rey asked, never having heard those names before.

“Alright, school time.” By now they had already wandered outside of the city, and there were very few people around. Dropping the reigns, Poe flipped around to face Rey from the driver’s seat.

“Don’t you have to watch the road?!” She gulped out, envisioning the horse running off, flipping the wagon and crashing into some other innocent bystander.

“No ma’am, BB here’s got a nose for where home is. Plus that horse has gotten me out of more scrapes than I’d be willing to admit.” Poe grinned from ear to ear, clearly very proud of his animal. He was a cute little horse; a paint that was mostly white, with a few sorrel spots that looked orange in the sun.

“Noted,” she smiled.

“Anyways, it’ll help if you know who’s who in Tatooine.” He continued his original thought. “So obviously you’ve talked to Mr. Skywalker, and now you’ve met the ever-so charming Poe Dameron,” again, he winked, and Rey rolled her eyes. Thankfully, he laughed in response. “Skywalker owns the ranch that I (and some others) work on, alongside his twin sister, Mrs. Leia Solo, previously Leia Skywalker.

“Now Leia ran out and married Mr. Han Solo, a trader’s son and the local hellion. It apparently was some big stink with Mr. and Mrs. Skywalker, but eventually they got behind it just before they passed away. Shortly after the wedding, they had a son. His name’s Ben. Big trouble maker, probably a couple years older than you.”

“Trouble maker?” Rey questioned. “Someone I should be worried about?”

“No, not like that. He just decided that he wanted nothing to do with their family anymore. He walked out on them, leaving Mr. Skywalker and Mrs. Solo without an heir to their estate.”

“Seems like nobody has an heir in this town,” she commented.

“Hey,” he jested, “at least ol’ Kenobi managed to find _somebody_ to put on that grim piece of paper.” Poe kidded with her, and she grinned once again. “There’s a few other small operations around, but you’ll meet them all eventually. The two biggest ranches are the Skywalker’s, and then Kenobi’s. Speaking of, the Finn I mentioned earlier is your farmhand.”

“Oh, I didn't know I had one!” The idea of having someone working for _her_ instead of her working for someone else was hard to grasp. She was so used to being an employee instead of an employer that she suddenly felt very far out of her depth. “What’s he like?”

“Finn’s the kindest guy I know,” Poe replied. “He’s great with the animals, and a hard worker. Great at cooking, responsible, really just cute as a button…” the man trailed off, clearing his throat suddenly. “Any young lady’s cup of tea, really.”

Rey pretended not to have questions about his botched recovery. She had just met the man- now was not time to pry into his weird observations. “He’s the only one?”

“Yes ma’am,” Poe gratefully answered. “When Mr. Kenobi started to get too old, he scaled back. But I promise you there’s plenty of help to be found around.”

“It sounds like a great town,” Rey finally observed after a few beats of silence. “I can’t wait to get there.”

“Neither can I. Go ahead, get some rest. Before you know it, we’ll be halfway through the Utah Territory and almost home.”

Poe turned around, leaving Rey to lean back and relax in the back of the wagon. She was happy to find a small pillow there, and laid down with it. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep, dreaming of the home that was waiting for her.

+++

The pair of travelers had been on the road for a few days without incident. Rey had been worried about how this part of her journey would go- she’d grown up listening to horror stories from the western frontier. She had imagined that somewhere along the way they’d get into a wagon accident, get lost, or maybe even get caught in some terrible weather. Thankfully, the trip had been quiet, and Poe turned out to be good company. He was a man with a great sense of humor, and the nights spent resting by a campfire had been some of the funniest moments of Rey’s life. The stories he would tell bordered on unbelievable, yet he was too genuine to be fabricating any part of it. And the love he showed for his horse made Rey’s heart warm. She wondered if she would grow to have a bond like that with the animals on her ranch.

By this time, the duo was nearing the border between the Utah and Arizona territories. The temperatures had been climbing, making rest stops more and more frequent for BB’s sake. Rey didn't mind, despite how anxious she was to arrive at the Kenobi ranch. After a long rest, the pair of travelers found themselves back on the road once more. After about half an hour, Rey noticed a horse and rider behind them on the road. It was the first person they had seen the whole time.

“Are we nearing a town?”

“No, why?” Poe asked, not bothering to turn around to face Rey.

“Just because there’s someone else riding behind us. They seem to be in quite the hurry.” Rey watched as Poe then whipped around, and took in the rider approaching them. Rey saw that he was galloping a large black horse, and as he came closer, she saw that he was wearing all black. His face was nearly completely covered by the brim of his large, black cowboy hat and the bandana he had wrapped around his face.

“Oh shit,” Poe said under his breath. He turned around, urging BB from his leisurely walk up to a jog, and then finally into a lope. “Sorry, pardon my language Rey. But we might be in trouble.”

“Trouble?” She all but shouted. Despite BB’s quickened pace, the mysterious rider was gaining on them

“See,” Poe explained as panic began to fill his voice, “most nice folk don’t gallop behind people wearing bandit’s masks. Just follow my lead.” Realizing that the overburdened BB could never outrun the solo rider, Poe brought the horse to a stop on the side of the road. The rider only slowed once he reached them, pulling up alongside the wagon. Rey instantly saw that he had a pistol drawn.

“We don't want any trouble,” Poe said, raising his hands. Rey did the same.

“Neither do I,” the masked man said. His voice was deep and rich, matching his imposing figure. He was one of the largest men Rey had ever seen, made exponentially more intimidating by the weapon in his hand. “Give me you’re money, and you can carry on your way.”

“We have no money,” Poe told him. “I’m just taking this young lady down to Tatooine.”

“Who the hell wants to go to Tatooine?”

“Language, buddy.” Poe challenged him, his right hand twitching while it remained raised in front of him. Rey’s eyes then fell upon the revolver sitting on Poe’s hip. Why didn’t he use it?

“Don’t even think about it,” the bandit said. He must have seen Rey looking at the gun. “If you don’t have any money, I’ll just take your jewelry then.”

“We’ve got no-”

“The mask doesn't make me blind,” the bandit yelled. Rey flinched. “I see that necklace she’s got on. Hand it over, and open that trunk.”

Rey froze, her hand clenched around her necklace. It was one of the only one’s she owned. She looked to Poe, unsure if she should do as he said. Poe gave a slight nod, and Rey pushed her hands into action. She unclasped her necklace, and then leaned over to open the trunk.

“Now push it to the back,” he said, dismounting. “And don’t do anything stupid.” Rey listened as his large boots beat into the dirt of the road, his cruel spurs jingling with each step. He reached the rear of the wagon, and began to root through Rey’s luggage for anything valuable. Rey knew that there wasn’t anything in there- she was too poor to afford anything nice, and Plutt certainly wasn’t one for gifts.

“What business does a young lady like you have in Tatooine?” Her assailant asked as he ransacked her trunk.

“That’s none of your-” Poe tried to intercept the question, but the bandit paused to focus his gun more steadily on him once more.

“Tsk tsk,” he scolded, glaring at Poe. “Let the girl answer for herself.”

The man resumed riffling through the trunk. He had opened every bag inside of it, and would surely give up soon. With a courage that Rey didn’t realize she had, she repeated what had been Poe’s intended response. “It’s none of your damn business!”

The man stopped once more, lifting his eyes up from the trunk to meet Rey’s. An eyebrow raised, and his impossibly-dark eyes bore into hers. He stared at her for a few seconds, but Rey refused to break the eye contact. She saw the gun waving in her peripheral vision, but it never came to point directly at her.

“Fiery,” he finally commented. “I like it.” Rey’s skin crawled as the man’s eyes finally broke away. His free hand moved to close the trunk- that is, until something apparently caught his eye at the last second. Reaching into the very bottom, he pulled out an old, tarnished watch. It did not tick, and when the man tried to wind it, he found it did not work.

“Please don’t,” Rey whispered, forgetting herself.

“What was that?”

“That was my father’s watch.”

“So?”

“He died when I was two. It’s all I have left of him.” She hated how all power had left her voice. But her vulnerable assertion was true- it was the only thing that Plutt hadn’t taken from her parent’s belongings when she arrived on his doorstep.

“Listen lady,” the bandit chided her. “The Bandit Kylo and his friend,” he brandished his gun and looked at it, “the Ren, don’t care much for sob stories. So I’ll be taking this, and your necklace.” He snatched up the two pieces of jewelry, placed them in his pocket, and then walked back to his horse. Mounting, he sarcastically wished them a good day before taking off at a full gallop back down the road from whence he came. Poe and Rey sat there for many minutes, collecting themselves and processing what had just happened.

“I’m so sorry, Rey.” Poe finally consoled her.

“Don’t apologize,” she answered. “You did your best. I’m just glad neither of us were hurt.”

“Amen,” Poe agreed. “I say we get a move on as quickly as we can. The sooner we get to Tatooine, the sooner we’ll be safe.”

“Agreed.” And with that, BB was once again pulling the wagon forward, pulling them as quickly as he could towards the Arizona border.

+++

A few more days on the road, and Rey found herself entering into the small town of Tatooine. Situated in the northern half of the Arizona territory, the land was certainly more green than what she had heard the southern half was- though it still was nowhere near as lush as Chicago had been. The town itself was tiny, consisting of a post office, sheriff’s office, saloon, and general store. The strangest part for Rey, however, was not the lack of buildings- it was the lack of people. She saw a few horses and a wagon tied out front of the saloon, but not a soul was to be found on the porches of the buildings.

Poe led BB to a post, and then helped Rey out of the wagon. He told her to leave her bag, that they would carry on to her ranch after lunch, but that Mr. Skywalker was surely waiting for her in the saloon. Thanking him before he busied himself with removing the wagon from BB, Rey then continued on into the saloon alone. It was a small room, with an ornately-carved bar on one wall, a piano in a corner opposite it, and several tables spread around the room. Rey saw three individuals sitting at the bar, being served by a fourth.

“Lando, you can’t be serious. There is _always_ whiskey.” One of the two men sitting at the bar spoke to the bartender.

“Han, I can’t manage to _keep_ whiskey here when you stop by so often,” the bartender replied. “I can only give you a soda.”

“That man doesn’t need any more to drink anyways,” the woman chimed in. “Looks like our guest is here.” All four individuals then turned to look at Rey, the saloon doors swinging back and forth behind her. Suddenly acutely aware that she was just standing there like a lunatic, she began to awkwardly stride towards the bar to introduce herself.

“Hello, I’m Rey Johnson.” She extended her hand to the first person she ran into. He was an older gentlemen, with overgrown grey hair and a beard to match. He had piercing blue eyes, and Rey felt as though he was looking straight through her.

“I know,” he started, taking her hand and shaking it. “We don’t get too many newcomers out this way. I’m Luke Skywalker, the one you’ve been writing to. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Johnson.”

“Oh, please, call my Rey,” she corrected, never one for formalities. “It’s lovely to finally meet you in person, Mr. Skywalker.”

“You’ll fit right in here, Rey,” he chuckled, releasing her hand. “Nobody goes by mister or misses here!” He then gestured to his two companions. “This here is my sister, Leia, and her husband, Han Solo. Oh, and that’s Lando Calrissian. He’s the bothersome barkeep for this sorry excuse of a saloon.”

“You’re lucky this nonexistent town even _has_ a saloon, you ingrates.” Lando glared at the three townspeople, and then gave a kind smile to Rey. “How do you do, Rey? I hope I’ll get to see more of you once you get settled in.”

“Nice to meet you all. And I’m quite fine- the journey was eventful but nothing too tiring.”

“Eventful?” The woman, Leia, inquired. Thinking better of it, she added, “Wait, let me start properly. It’s a pleasure to meet such a lovely young lady like you, Rey. Did you run into trouble out there?”

“Did Poe give you a hard time?” Han piped in, and Leia glared at him. “What? The kid’s a flirt.”

“Oh no, nothing with Poe! In fact, he was delightful company.” Rey flushed at Han’s words. Talk about straightforward. “We were, well, held up just before we came over the border.”

“Held up?” Luke exclaimed. “Thank goodness you weren’t hurt!”

“Oh yes, Poe and I are just fine. The bandit only took a necklace and a watch of mine before he ran off.” Rey’s hand instinctively came up to rest where here necklace ordinarily could be found. It felt strange to not have it on anymore.

“Did he tell you his name?” Luke asked. “I’ll let the sheriff know what happened.”

“He said his name was…” She thought back to what he had said. “Kylo? And he called his gun his ‘Ren,’ I think?” All four older adults looked at each other as she said it. Clearly, they had heard of this bandit before.

“We’ve heard of him,” Leia said after the pause. “Just a petty thief. I’m sure he’ll be captured soon. I’m just sorry that was the welcome you received to our here territory.” Leia gestured vaguely around her, as if to encompass the entire countryside around them.

“Unfortunately, I understand that such hazards come with this part of the country. I’m happy to be here, though.” Rey smiled at them, and they all smiled back.

“Well, even more reason for me to teach you how to shoot, once you’re settled in.” Luke’s eyes twinkled at the prospect, and Rey reeled at the idea of learning to use a gun. That wasn’t something she had thought about when she agreed to come here. But before she could let that realization sink in any further, Poe burst in.

“Lando! Your finest whiskey please!”

“Sorry, Poe. Fresh out. Han here guzzled the last of it.” The bartender chuckled, picking up a glass to dry it with a towel. Poe cursed under his breath.

“I say we leave these drunks to commiserate over the lack of booze,” Luke joked. “If you’d like, Leia and I would love to show you to your house. And we’d love to have you by for dinner, if you’re not too tired.”

“I would love that,” Rey beamed. Twenty minutes in this new town, and she was already feeling more welcome than she had in all her years living with Plutt. She could get used to this, she thought to herself. The three exited the saloon, leaving Poe and Han laughing with Lando. Luke had brought his own carriage, and after Leia and Rey were situated and Rey’s trunk had been retrieved, he began to drive his two-horse team out of town.

“I’m so glad to have another girl in town,” Leia commented after several minutes of silence. It caught Rey off guard, having been too busy taking in the sights of the high-desert landscape passing by the carriage.

“Surely you’re not the only one?” Rey questioned seriously.

“No, no, of course not,” Leia laughed. “But there aren’t many of us. Plus it’s encouraging to see another lady owning and running a ranch.”

“I’m not entirely sure I’m up for the task,” Rey admitted. “I don’t know the first thing about this kind of life.”

“Don’t worry, it’s easy enough to pick up. And if you every need any help, I’d be more than happy to stop by. And you’re always welcome in my home, I mean it.”

“Thank you,” she smiled at the older woman. Her heart ached from how welcome she felt. This was nothing like she had ever experienced in her twenty years of living.

“You’re so very welcome, Rey.” Leia smiled back, her eyes crinkling with wrinkles from years of making the expression. “And with that, welcome home.”

Turning to look out the window, Rey watched as her new home came into view.


	3. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings once again! Timely uploads seem to escape me with this fic. In my defense, I'm getting ready to start nursing school in a few weeks... But regardless, I will try to upload when I can! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The house was not at all what Rey had been expecting. Coming from the east, where the western frontier was more of a legend than an actual part of the country, she had been told that everyone lived in little wood shacks that barely had a stove. Rey had been okay with the idea of that- it was all a part of her new adventure. But as Luke Skywalker drove the carriage up to the front of the house, all of her expectations flew out the window.

The home was two stories, and made mostly out of wood. Whoever had built it had clearly taken great care with its construction, with each shingle hand-carved and meticulously placed. The windows were numerous, and each placed in a way that perfectly framed the stone-covered entrance. It was one of the most beautiful properties Rey had ever seen, in comparison to the hastily crafted buildings of her home town.

As the carriage came to a halt, Luke jumped down from his driver seat and beckoned the two ladies out of the cart. “Well, Rey, I know it ain’t much…”

“This is the most stunning home I have ever seen!” she exclaimed. “All of this for just me?”

“This isn’t even all of it, dear.” Leia piped up, coming to stand next to Rey. “This is just the main house. You’ll eventually have to go out and see all the other buildings, but that’s for when you’re more well-rested. Let’s go in.”

Patting the younger woman on the shoulder, Luke led the three into the home. The front door opened into a grand living room, complete with a fireplace made of the same stone from the exterior of the house. It was comfortably furnished, with a large couch and armchair in front of the fireplace, and a large dining table towards the back of the room. Rey assumed that the doorway nearest that table led to the kitchen.

“Firewood is kept out back by the kitchen, and there’s a door there that leads right to it. Outhouse is out that way, too. Then upstairs are two bedrooms, all furnished. Though you might be needing a new quilt if the one Ben left is too ratty.” Rey just continued to drink in her surroundings, listening to Luke’s words. Now that she was here, it was hard to comprehend that this was all actually happening.

“Let me go fetch Finn,” Leia said before disappearing through the door to, Rey had correctly guessed, the kitchen. Seconds later, she could hear Leia ringing a large bell, and shouting out into the expanse behind the house.

“I can’t believe this,” Rey whispered. “This can’t be for me.”

“Like I wrote to you, kid, Ben Kenobi was really adamant that your family get this land.”

“Which I still don’t understand.” Rey turned to face Luke, now looking him in his piercing blue eyes. “You see, if Mr. Kenobi was so close to my parents, why hadn’t he been contacted when they passed? And if we weren’t related by blood, why did he choose them to get all of this?”

Luke sighed, and sat down on one of the couches before the empty fireplace. Rey followed suit and sat next to him. Taking her hand in his, he gave a sad smile before responding. “I was very close with Ben. He practically raised me and Leia, when our folks died when we were your age. We had a lot of growing up to do, even if Leia thought that being married meant you were mature at the time.”

Luke chuckled and Rey twittered along with him. When she quieted, he continued. “At some point he told me about these two people, a man and a woman, who he had run into on the road to San Francisco. Ben traveled a lot, and ran into trouble a lot. Naturally, he got into a bind in a big storm on his way there. Didn’t think he would make it, the snow was so heavy. Eventually, he pulled his horse to the side of the road and figured he should just lay down and die.

“Then, all of a sudden, here comes a light down the road. The man had seen him riding past his homestead, and knew he couldn’t have gone far in the storm. He pulled ol’ Ben out of the snow, dragged him home, and chipped him out of the ice.”

“Seems like what anyone would do,” Rey remarked.

“Maybe,” Luke acknowledged. “He told me that, just when that storm looked like it was about to clear up, another would roll in. He said he spent almost a month with that couple. But the remarkable thing, Ben told me, was that the man and his wife housed him, fed him, and never complained once. They wouldn’t take his money, or let him help with the chores. ‘The finest example of hospitality in the west,’ he’d said.

“When the weather cleared, they gave him more than enough supplies to get him to and from San Francisco and saw him off. Ben wrote to them a lot, seeing as they’d become good friends, locked up in that cabin for a month together. Years went by, and Ben had been real sad when they suddenly stopped writing him back. Guess he figured they’d moved on, considering they’d told him about moving back east. But, their silence apparently didn’t stop him from writing them into his will.”

Rey couldn’t believe the story. “I still don't understand. My parents did what anybody should have done. It was kind, sure, but not worth three hundred acres of land!”

Luke once again gave her that sad smile. “That was the kind of man Ben was, always generous. And you have to understand, he had no heir of his own. He had no family, other than his wife Satine. But she had died many years earlier, and they had no children.”

“How terribly sad,” was all Rey could say before Leia reappeared through the kitchen door, a tall man behind her.

“Finally found him!” Leia proclaimed. “Rey, this is Finn. Finn, meet Rey. He’s been the farmhand on this land for a few years now.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Rey.” The man walked to the couch as Rey and Luke stood up. She shook his hand, taking in his appearance. He was dressed in a light shirt, slightly unbuttoned, that contrasted nicely with his dark skin despite the several smears of dirt across it. His light trousers sported the same dirt, which showed Rey that he was rather inclined to rub his hands on his clothes instead of finding a rag.

“Pleasure’s all mine,” she drawled back. “I’ve already heard so much about you from Poe.”

Finn’s eyes widened, and Rey couldn't help but smile. She mentally noted that she would have to investigate what was happening there as she settled in. “Oh, I sure hope it was all good things,” he choked out.

“Of course, all wonderful things.” Rey chimed, continuing to smile. Finn seemed to be put at ease. “Do you live here on the property?”

“Yes ma’am. It’s a little house just over the hill out the back. If you ever need me, you can usually find me there, or out in the barn.” He nodded his head towards the back wall of the house, signaling the direction towards his home.

“Good to know.”

“Well, I think Leia and I ought to let you settle in,” Luke then interrupted. “But we expect to see both of you tonight for dinner. It’s our little tradition, between the Kenobi and Skywalker ranches- Sunday dinner, every week. Leia’s treat.” They bid farewell, but not before Leia asked Finn to show Rey the way to their ranch later that evening.

“So I hear you come from back east,” Finn segued.

“I did. I was born in New York, but I grew up mostly in Chicago.” The two sat down on the couch where Rey and Luke had sat just moments before. “Are you from here?”

“No, no, I came from back east, too.” Finn’s face fell, and Rey worried if she had touched on a bad memory. “I, uh, had a bad employer. A man by the name of Snoke. Me, my friend Rose, and her beaux all worked for him. Long story short, we eventually ran off and wound up out here. Mr. Kenobi gave me a place to work.”

“I’m so sorry,” Rey offered. “I know at least some of how you felt- I worked for my cousin in the city. He was,” Rey contemplated the best, most polite word to describe Plutt, “ _unkind_ , to say the least.”

Finn frowned. “Sorry that happened to you. But I’d say you’re mighty lucky to have ended up here. These are some of the kindest folks I’ve ever met.”

The two ended up talking for quite some time, getting to know each other. Finn described some of the work he did (taking care of the horses, cattle and chickens; repairing the equipment; and tilling the fields, just to name a few) and explained where a lot of the buildings were. Rey in turn had a lot of questions, since she was trying to get a feel for what managing such a vast estate would entail. When she suddenly found herself yawning, Finn told her that he would come and fetch her around four o’clock to take her to the Skywalker’s.

As soon as he was gone, Rey wandered upstairs and into the first bedroom she came upon. It was a generous room, with a large and immensely comfortable-looking bed in the center of the room. She immediately laid down, and before she could even stop to consider how tired she was from all of her day’s travel, she was out like a light.

+++

The main home on the Skywalker ranch, belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Solo, was of about the same size as Rey’s new home. Instead of wood, the majority of this home was built out of stone, with only the upper floor being wrapped in wood paneling. It was equally as charming as the Kenobi home, but it was admittedly more lively. As Rey and Finn rode up towards the front door, she could see lights on in nearly every room and smoke pouring out of the chimney.

Having tied up the horses, the two knocked on the door. Someone called from inside for them to enter, and they were immediately greeted by Han once they opened the door. He sat on the couch, reading a book. Lando was there as well, talking to two individuals who Rey had yet to meet. One of them, a man, broke away from his conversation to bring himself and the woman he stood next to over to Rey. They walked arm-in-arm. Finn gave the two a happy nod, before walking over to Poe, who was seated in the corner with a cigarette.

“Ah, the newcomer,” the unidentified man said. “You must be Miss Johnson.”

“Rey is just fine,” she told him politely. “And you are?”

“Sherriff Armitage Hux,” he answered. He was a tall, proud man, with a very sharp nose and wildly red hair. He wasn’t much of a smiler, but he bowed formally to Rey as he said his name. “But Hux is just fine. And this is my lovely wife, Rose.”

“How do you do,” the woman, Rose, said. She curtsied slightly and gave Rey a large smile. “I love your dress, is it handmade?”

Rey glanced down at herself, having forgotten exactly what she was wearing. It was one of her few “nice” dresses, which she had sewn together from the spare bits of fabric that she could afford while working for Plutt. It was mostly white, but with a few brown details around the hems and on the pockets. “Yes, actually. Thank you!”

“Beautiful work! I’m a seamstress myself. If you’re ever looking for a dress, or just someone to chat to, you can always find me down at the store. I run it while Armie does all his big-wig sheriff work.” Hux playfully rolled his eyes at his wife, who looked at him lovingly.

When Leia entered the room, she called everyone to be seated outside on their porch. The Solo’s had a large table out there, which was able to fit seemingly everyone in the town. Rey was quickly learning that the Skywalker’s ranch, and apparently her own, made up the majority of business in Tatooine. As a result, the people here were most of who made up the little town, with the exclusion of the postman Charles Bacca and his wife, Maz. They had apparently left down to visit the nearby town of Mos Eisely for a few days, but would be back soon. As all of these people gathered around the table, Rey couldn’t help but feel intimidated by how close-knit the town seemed to be. However, she was grateful to Leia and Rose. Each of them seemed to work especially hard to make her feel welcome, and Rey had the feeling that they would become fast friends.

The meal was delicious, and filled with happy conversation. She enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters that made up the small town. Hux seemed to be rather uptight, but Rose’s easygoing nature balanced him out. Finn was intensely caring, always offering to help around the other ranch despite his long list of duties at home. And Luke, Leia and Han got on as thick as thieves, always laughing about some kind of trouble that they had gotten into in the past. It felt like she was being absorbed into one, giant, happy family.

That is, until the sound of hooves was heard beating down the road towards the house.

Everyone fell silent, slowly turning to watch as the horse and rider approached. It was a tall man with impossibly broad shoulders, long black hair blowing in the breeze, and dressed in a dark suit. As he got closer, Rey noted that he had strong, prominent features, including a large nose and matching lips. Rey could also see the tips of large ears poking out of his hair when the wind blew just right. He made her uneasy, since his face was locked into a scowl as he drew ever closer.

Finally, he dismounted and tied his horse to the post. He walked to the porch, and Leia stood to greet him.

“Fancy seeing you here, Ben.” _Ben?_ Rey’s mind questioned. _The troublemaker Poe mentioned?_

“Howdy, mama.” That was all the man said, stopping in his tracks as he stepped onto the porch. The tension was thick in the air, and the man wrung his hands in front of himself.

“What brings you back here, son?” Han asked, now standing beside his wife to address the man. “Thought you told me that you’d never come back here.”

“That was a long time ago,” Ben growled. There was a pregnant pause. “Is there any supper left for me?” He asked as if nothing was wrong.

Leia sighed, and frantically looked over all of her guests. Each either looked terrified of Ben or extremely uncomfortable with the situation, with the exclusion of the confused Rey. After a moment’s hesitation, Leia appeared to give in and directed Ben to pull up a chair to the table. Of course, the only space left was besides Rey at the end of the long, rectangular surface. Disappearing briefly, Leia came back with a plate for him, and he began to pack said plate with the food that still sat in the middle of the table.

He ate in mostly silence. No one dared say anything, except for when Ben had mumbled out a thanks between bites or when Leia had made an offhanded comment about the late-spring weather. For whatever reason, Ben seemed to continuously glance over at Rey. She just stared at her lap, fidgeting with the napkin that was placed there. She suddenly felt no appetite to finish the biscuit that occupied her own plate.

“Who’re you?” Ben grunted out after a few minutes of silence. Rey’s head shot up, and she looked around the table as if she wasn’t the only newcomer to this town. When she realized he was talking to her, she finally whimpered out an answer.

“Rey Johnson.” Ben stared at her intensely, and she puzzled out that he was looking for more information. She continued, “I’m living on the Kenobi ranch now.”

“So Kenobi finally found a new lady caller?”

“ _Benjamin_!” Leia cried from across the table.

“It's alright.” Rey raised a hand to Leia to stop her from chewing Ben a new one. “Though I didn’t know Mr. Kenobi,” she bit out at the man next to her, “from what I’ve heard he was quite the _gentleman._ So if you’d like to know the _truth,_ I was listed as his heir.” Ben stopped chewing at that, his brows furrowing together. She worried that her anger had gotten the best of her, and that she had come across as a braggart. Though, part of her snarked, he probably deserved such rude behavior.

“Where’s Kenobi?” Quelling her thoughts, Rey observed that it was as though Ben was suddenly looking around the table for the first time, counting heads. He scanned over each of their faces, searching for the face of a man who he would not find. With a sickening feeling, Rey realized that he believed Kenobi to still be alive.

“Ben, I tried to write to you…” Luke started, but Ben didn’t let him finish.

“He’s dead?”

“Yes,” Luke answered. “He died in February.” Once again, silence filled the space. Abruptly, Ben stood, threw his napkin down on the table, and began to walk away.

“I’m going home.” And with that, Ben Solo disappeared into the night.

No one dared to move for a long time after that. Rey snuck a glance around the table, and saw the uncomfortable looks on most of the guest’s faces. Leia looked heartbroken, while Han just looked disappointed. Luke remained indifferent, and was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry about that, Rey.” He took a long, deep breath. “He hasn’t come home in half a year. This was certainly a surprise.”

Rey was at a loss for words. She didn’t feel as though Luke, or anyone there for that matter, should be apologizing to her. If anything, she felt like _she_ should be apologizing to them. And that’s exactly what she did. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to get involved in situations that I’m probably not welcome in.”

“Please don't worry,” Han chimed in. “He’s a hot-head, and I’m sure that won't be the last you see of him while he’s in town. Better you realize what he’s like sooner rather than later, kid.”

Everyone began to relax after that. Conversation was eventually returned to normal, and Rey focused on enjoying the new company. After desert was finished and she had insisted on helping Leia with the dishes, she and Finn bid everyone goodnight. The two chatted along the way home, but never addressed what they had seen with Ben. Arriving home, she wished Finn a goodnight and then climbed into her bed soon after.

It didn’t take long to fall asleep, despite her thoughts threatening to keep her awake to process all that she had learned about Tatooine that day. Before she drifted off, she smiled to herself- if there was one thing she had learned, it was that small towns _definitely_ were more interesting than the city.


	4. A Formal Introduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! If any of you have been deeply devoted to this fic, (unlikely, but let me have my moment) I apologize for the insanely long delay. An accelerated nursing program is no joke, and I haven't had time to sit down and breathe since my last upload. But no matter! I have returned, and I hope that during my holiday "break" (read: two online classes) I can find enough time to finish this fic! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope to see you again soon!

The next four days were a blur to Rey. She had woken up at the crack of dawn the morning after the town dinner to the sound of someone pounding on her door. Rushing to get dressed, she answered the door only to find an overtly chipper Finn wishing her good morning. He had a list of things that he said he would be doing that day, and had explained what Mr. Kenobi had usually taken care of. Gathering eggs, milking cows, cooking meals, repairing horse blankets… the list seemed impossible. But after a nice cup of tea, Rey had gotten to work. She was grateful for Finn’s willingness to show her the ropes; she had never so much as looked at a cow properly before arriving in Tatooine, and had no idea what a fair price was for the crops she would have to start selling in the fall. With his guidance, Rey had slowly whittled down the list to just the daily chores and a few larger projects. She had even found time to start quilting a new blanket for her bed; Luke had been right that the existing one was rather well worn.

When news had come days later that the postman had returned to town, Rey was reminded of her promise to write to Billy Baker upon her arrival. After a visit to the coop and some subsequent breakfast, Rey headed to the barn to retrieve her horse. Mr. Kenobi had left her several, but Finn had told her that the best mount of them all was Mr. Kenobi’s favorite, Arfour. With Finn’s help she had learned how to tack up properly, so now Rey and Arfour found themselves on their way into town. It was only about a half hour’s ride into the small town square, and Rey took her time as she enjoyed getting to take in the Arizonan countryside once again.

She arrived in town, tied Arfour on a hitching post, and wandered into the post office. There was, to her surprise, no one behind the counter; only a small bell waited for her. She rang it, and then heard footsteps pattering above her head. She listened as, whoever it was, came down the stairs that must have led to the second-floor apartment. Then a small, older woman appeared out of the back room. She had curly grey hair, deeply tanned skin, and thick-lens glasses that made her eyes look like those of a bug. Despite her unusual appearance, she seemed kind and unassuming enough. She smiled widely at Rey.

“You must be Rey! Skywalker told us you’d be coming, but we didn’t realize so soon!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands together in excitement. “Chewie, Chewie! Come down here, the new girl is here!”

Rey grinned at the old woman’s excitement. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

“Oh, hush with that ‘ma’am’ nonsense. Name’s Maz, and you’re about to meet my husband, Chewie.” Maz began to walk out from behind the counter towards Rey. “I’m sure Han told you to call him Charles, but be warned: the last man to call him Charles got his arms ripped off.”

Rey’s eyes widened, and she suddenly was afraid of the man whose booming footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Maz finally reached her, and began to laugh as she lightly hit her on the arm. The small woman (she was easily almost a foot shorter than Rey) told her, “I’m just messin’ with ya. He’s the biggest softie of a man I’ve ever met.”

“What nonsense are you telling the poor girl, Maz?” From around the corner, a huge man appeared. He had incredibly long brown hair that appeared as though it hadn’t been brushed in over a decade, with an equally long beard to match. If his wife was almost a foot shorter than Rey, then this man had to be at least a foot taller than her. He loomed over Rey from across the counter. “Howdy, I’m Chewie. Sorry if my wife here gave you any trouble.”

“None at all,” Rey laughed. Maz continued to study her with her huge eyes, making Rey feel a little uneasy. Electing not to alienate her new acquaintances, she made no comment on the strange behavior and instead focused on her main objective. “So nice to finally meet you both. I was told that this was the place to send some mail?”

“Absolutely,” Chewie informed. “Give yer letter here and I’ll get her mailed off in a jiffy.” Rey passed him the piece of paper, and after finding an envelope and addressing it for her, Chewie had placed the letter in a basket. “Maz,” he said once he was done, “you’re going to give her the creeps.”

Maz finally stopped staring at her, instead pulling her eyes to look at Chewie. “I’ve got a good feeling about this one, hun.”

“Good feeling?” Rey questioned, suddenly feeling like she had visited a fortune teller instead of a post office.

“You’re going to be important for these parts, I can tell you that much.” Maz nodded her head once, proudly, to show her apparent confidence in her assessment of Rey.

“Um, thank you?”

“Alright, Maz, you’ve done enough damage.” Chewie’s barking laugh filled the office. “Again, it was great to meet you, Rey. Do stop by if you ever need anything, or are looking for another premonition from this crazy ol’ bat that I married.”

Maz and Chewie dissolved into playful bickering as Rey left the office. She partially wondered if the two had actually noticed her leave, but decided not to inquire. She pondered what the old lady had meant by her being important, but she chalked it up to sage wisdom that came with age. And besides, she reasoned, she _did_ technically own the second biggest ranch in town. She supposed that was important enough.

Walking back to Arfour to leave, Rey glanced down the line of buildings towards the general store. Thinking that she might as well check it out while she was in town, she walked down to and through the store’s door. The walls were covered in shelves that held all sorts of odds and ends, from fabric to nails to horse shoes. Behind the counter, Rose sat there. She looked bored stiff, despite having a book opened in front of her.

“Afternoon, Rose,” Rey greeted as she began to peruse the store’s offerings.

“Oh good afternoon, Rey!” The other girl chirped. She was around Rey’s age, and seemed very happy to have another woman around her that was close in age. “What brings you in?”

“I was mailing off a letter, and figured I’d come in and say hello. Plus I need some fabric for a quilt I’m making.” As she spoke, Rey had a roll of soft, blue cotton in her hands.

“That’s a beautiful one, and not too expensive, if I do say so myself.” Rose came out from around the counter to stand in front of her. “It’d also make a pretty dress, if you bought some extra.”

Rey laughed at the sale’s pitch. “You drive a hard bargain.”

“I try, somebody has to pay for Armie’s hair soaps.” Now both girls laughed at the expense of Hux’s egregiously over-styled hair. The pair of women ended up getting on just as well as they had at the dinner party. By the time they were done joking around, Rey had been in the store for over a half hour, and had picked out several different fabrics to take home. She justified the expense as a reserve in case something else needed repair, but in reality, she was elated to be able to buy nice fabric for herself. Her first morning, shortly after Finn’s early wake up call, Rey had discovered a small envelope in one of the dresser drawers of her bedroom. Obviously left for her, she was amazed to see that the letter contained about a hundred dollars. She once again felt guilty for receiving such an immense inheritance from a man who she’d never met. Not wanting to spend the late man’s hard-earned money on silly things, Rey had put most of it away, but had left out just enough to splurge on something like this.

As she paid, Rey realized that she really didn’t want her exchange with Rose to end, but knew that she would need to return home sooner rather than later. Hit with the urge to host her new friend, she extended an invitation. “You know, you should come over for tea sometime. I’d love to have some company in that huge empty house of mine.”

“I’d absolutely love that,” Rose smiled from ear to ear. “Some girl-talk does every woman some good!” Rey smiled again, and the two set a date. She then wished her goodbye and carried her items out the door and back to Arfour. Putting it all away in her saddle bags, she once again rode down the road towards her ranch.

+++

Rey had been home for a few hours, working steadily on sewing together her quilt with her newly purchased fabric. Once she finished that, she intended on moving on to making a new apron for herself. After that, she hoped she could find some kind of book on how to make preserves and jams- Finn had told her that the berry bushes were nearly ready for harvest, and that if she didn’t want to have to throw away a thousand berries, she’d have to learn how to preserve them for later.

Focused completely on her sewing needle dipping in and out of the blanket, Rey was startled by a harsh pounding on the door. Unfortunately, her needle when straight through her finger, giving her a nasty cut. Cursing beneath her breath, she carefully set down her work and walked to the door, quickly forgetting the injury in favor of greeting the visitor. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find none other than Benjamin Solo standing before her.

“Uh, good afternoon, Miss Johnson.” Wearing a straw cowboy hat, the large man tipped it to her in greeting.

“Just Rey is fine,” she corrected for what felt like the hundredth time that week. “What can I do for you?”

Ben just continued to stare at her, not saying a word. Realizing that it was his turn to speak, he asked, “May I come in?”

Wary, but not wanting to be rude, Rey obliged. The man walked to the center of the large living room in a few strides, waiting for Rey to close the door behind him as he removed his hat. She did so, and then went to sit in the large armchair next to the fireplace. Ben sat down on the couch across from her.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior on Sunday,” he began uneasily. “It wasn’t right for me to imply that you were a… that you were here for unpleasant reasons.” He fidgeted with the hat in his hands.

“I don't mean to insinuate that you’re not here out of the goodness of your own heart,” Rey stated coldly, “but did your mother ask that you come here today?”

Ben went red. “No, I mean, she did, but I do really mean it-”

“I thought so,” Rey smirked, interrupting his desperate assurances that he was trying to do the right thing. “But have no fear, I appreciate the apology. I believe I owe you one in return. I’m sorry if I made your, er, _homecoming,_ any more difficult than it needed to be.” Silence filled the room after her statement, his face a mixture of relief that she had accepted his apology, and discomfort at the mention of the style of his arrival.

“No apology needed,” he meekly smiled at her. “Well, I, uh…” As he trailed off, the man allowed his eyes to trail from the floor and up the length of the woman seated across from him. It was then that he focused on her hands in her lap.

“You’re bleeding,” he pointed out, alarmed. Rey looked down, only to see that the cut on her finger was much worse than she had first thought. She had seemingly sliced open the end of her finger pretty well, and now blood dripped from it down onto her skirt. Which was the greatest tragedy of it all, Rey thought to herself, since this was her favorite tan skirt.

“Oh dear, I nicked myself with my sewing needle when you knocked,” she explained.

“Here, let me fetch you some water to clean it.” Before she could protest, Ben was up and out the door, his hat abandoned on the seat of the couch. Seeing that it was no use to go after him and tell him that she would take care of herself, she instead walked into the kitchen to find some bandages. She had struggled all week to find anything in this home, so naturally she had no idea where any of the medicine or supplies were kept.

Ben returned in the midst of her search, a bucket of water in tow. He poured it into the sink basin, and Rey wondered how he found where the well was so quickly. Then, appearing to recognize what she was looking for, he tapped her on the shoulder. “Here,” he said, “the medicine cabinet is this one, in the corner.”

Sure enough, when Rey opened the cabinet he pointed to, a roll of bandages was right in front. Pulling it down, she then walked over to the sink and submerged her hand in the water. “How did you know where to find those?”

“I, well, I spent a lot of time here as a kid,” he told her. “Not only was Ben Kenobi my namesake, but he also was kind of like a grandfather to me.”

Pulling her hand out of the water, Rey inspected it. “I see. Ben Kenobi was a mentor to a lot of people around her, huh?” She saw that the cut was deeper than she had originally assumed, but nothing too major. Ben exhaled as if he nearly chuckled.

“Yeah, he was a special man. Here, let me see.” Taking her hand in his, Ben brought it up so that he could take a better look at it. Rey studied his features, now that he was so close to her. He had beauty marks all over his face, and large, supple lips. But what really caught her attention were his eyes- a deep, warm brown beneath his heavy eyebrows. She watched as they studied her wound, if you could even call it that, and she couldn't help but feel her breath catch in her throat.

“I think I’ll live,” she joked awkwardly, alarmed by her response to the man’s appearance. He smiled once again, and this time Rey felt her stomach do a flip. He wasn’t traditionally handsome, but he was still handsome regardless. She liked his smile, and hoped to see it again soon. _Wait,_ she stopped herself. _Hasn’t the entire town warned me that he’s trouble?_

“I concur, doctor,” he joked back. Despite her concerns, she laughed, and he chuckled in response. It was a deep rumble- if she hadn’t been flustered before, she certainly was now. He stared down at her as she stared up at him, her hand still in his. She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but finally he pulled away, took a large step back, and cleared his throat. “Well, if you feel you’ll make a full recovery, Miss Rey, I think I had best be on my way.”

“Sure thing,” she choked out, returning to her senses. “It was lovely to re-introduce ourselves.”

He nodded, and the two walked back out into her living room. Grabbing his hat, he gave her a curt nod and wished her farewell before exiting her home. Without thinking, she walked to her front window. She watched him walk back to his horse, mount, and then ride down the road until he was out of sight. Sitting back down to continue her work, she couldn’t help but stare at the hand that he had held so delicately just moments before.

She would have to ask Rose more about him when they had tea the next week. 


	5. Town Gossip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings! I am very pleased to announce that I have finished writing this fic! Now, all that stands between you and quick updates is my reading comprehension and patience for editing... hopefully it won't take too long! I also am bumping the chapter count now that I officially know what I'm working with. Anyway, thanks for continuing to read this fic, and I hope that you enjoy this update!

One week later, and Rey sat in her living room with Rose. Rey had been excited to find a lovely tea set in the dining room’s ornately carved china cabinet, and had been sure to purchase quality leaves from the store prior to Rose’s visit. While Rey had made a living acting as hostess to the guests of Plutt’s hotel, the motions of hosting one’s own friends felt completely different. Rey was tempted to call herself nervous, concerned that she would fumble the visit and be a bad hostess to the woman that she longed to have as a friend. Miraculously, she had managed to _not_ set the house on fire as she boiled the water, and Rose had complimented her on the cookies she had baked. So far, she thought, so good.

“Well, tell me all about you!” Rose had smiled brightly at Rey, sipping her tea gracefully across the table.

“There isn’t all too much to tell,” Rey had admitted. “My parents were from England, and came to America for a fresh start. They tried the whole ‘pioneering’ thing, but had moved back to New York just before I was born.”

“How come?”

“That’s the funny part,” Rey described. “My mother had written to my cousin to say that she didn’t think the ‘wild west’ was a safe place for a child.” Rey then chuckled to herself. “If only she could see me now.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Rose consoled. “How old were you when she passed?”

“Only two. My father died along with her; some kind of illness. My cousin was the one to take me in, and he never could remember the details.” Rose frowned, shaking her head sadly.

“I really am sorry,” she told the other young lady. “I know how hard that must have been. My sister and I consider ourselves lucky that we got to know our parents for the little time that we did.”

Rey looked up at the dark haired girl in front of her. “I had no idea, I’m so sorry.”

Rose waived her off, smiling slightly. “No need for either of us to be sorry; that’s just how life goes, I’m afraid.” It saddened Rey to think about how true the observation was.

“I’m glad you had your sister to help you through it, though. Where is she now?”

“The capital, of all places!” Rose beamed, clearly very proud of her sister. “She met some high-aiming politician, married him, and has been there ever since. I haven’t seen her in years, but she writes me all the time. I was very excited to hear that they’re expecting a baby in December!”

“Congratulations!” Rey clapped her hands, thrilled at the news. “How exciting to get to be an aunt.”

Rose gleamed, the idea of spoiling her new niece or nephew elating her. “It certainly is.

I hope that Hux and I will be able to sneak away from town long enough to go visit them once the baby’s born. I can’t wait to get to hold that little bundle of joy myself!” Rose pantomimed rocking a baby in her arms.

Rey giggled at the other girl’s excitement. “Surely it’s getting to be time for you and Hux to follow your sister’s lead?” Rey teased. Rose flushed, suddenly looking down at the floor. Rey worried she had offended Rose, having stepped too far, but then Rose began to smirk.

“I think you’re right, Miss Rey. That man deserves some joy in his life.”

Rey studied the expression on Rose’s face. Though she smiled softly to herself, Rey could have sworn that she also saw some sadness in her eyes. Rose clearly was lost in some memory, but Rey waited patiently for her to come back to the current moment. She didn’t dare ask what the memory was, not wanting to intrude. But when Rose shook her head in accordance with returning to the present, she began to tell the story without prompting.

“I don't know if Finn has talked to you about it,” she started. “But we three came from some difficult circumstances. One way or another, all three of us had ended up working on a plantation out in South Carolina. I’d started there once Paige moved away, wanting to start my own life and let her get on with hers, too. Hux was already there- he was a land manager. Finn came in a little while later.

“The plantation owner was a man named Snoke. Pardon my language, but he was the cruelest bastard I’ve ever seen. Worked us to the bone, paid us just enough to barely survive, and if someone threatened to quit, they’d end up beaten half to death. Never by his hand, being the ‘ _upstanding gentleman’_ that he was, mind you. But we all knew he’d been behind it.”

Rey continued to listen in horror, one hand coming to rest over her agape mouth. “The three of us slowly became friends- Finn would bring the wool from the sheep, I’d make the clothing for all the workers, and Hux would stop by to yell at us. He was pretty far in Snoke’s pocket, but I’d like to think that he fancied me so much that he finally saw the truth.”

Rose giggled at her own assertion, and Rey’s horrified expression changed to a small smile. Rey admired that she could laugh in the middle of such a dark tale. “Long story short, we planned to run off one night. Packed our bags, stole a wagon, and hightailed it out of there under the cover of darkness. We were so scared we’d wind up found, we just kept going until we hit this little town. Armie and I got married in Waco on the way.”

“You all were very brave, leaving that horrible man behind.” Rey could not begin to fathom how much courage it must have taken for them to risk everything for something better. Rey almost felt guilty for how easily her good fortune had fallen on her. “I’m glad you found each other.”

“Me too,” Rose sighed. “I never thought I’d end up married like Paige. Let alone contemplating a baby! But enough about me,” Rose’s face suddenly became mischievous. “How many gentleman callers do you have beating down your door?”

Rey scoffed at the ridiculous thought. “Absolutely none, nobody’s taken my fancy.” It was then that the eyes of one very tall, very brooding man flashed across her mind. She pushed it away as quickly as she could, but it was too late. Her cheeks were growing warm.

“Ah, I think there’s at least one!” Rose teased, only worsening the other girl’s blush. Rey wanted to crawl under a rock. “Who’s the lucky man? Someone back in Chicago?”

“No,” Rey muttered, her brain scrambling to find a way out. She was honestly _embarrassed_ to think that she had become so flustered over a man she had just met. And, to add insult to injury, a man who had been introduced to herself as the town problem child.

“Oh no, it’s someone _I know,_ isn’t it?” The thrill in Rose’s voice was sickening. This woman seemed to thrive on anything that could remotely be considered, as she’d called it, “girl talk.”

“I mean, not-” Finally daring to look at Rose, Rey could instantly tell that there was no way to convince the other woman that she was wrong. With one eyebrow raised and a giant smirk across Rose’s face, Rey gave up trying to cover up what was going on in her head. Besides, she had wanted to make a good friend, right? It was sink or swim now. “Fine, do you promise not to laugh at me?”

“Oh, goodness, is it _Poe_?”

“Oh gosh, _no!_ ” Rey burst out, covering her mouth with her hands. She didn’t want to insult the flirtatious man, but he just was not at all what she was looking for. “Not that he’s not a nice man, of course…”

Rose laughed. “I know, I know. It takes a very special someone to be in love with him,” she continued to laugh as she said it. “So it’s not Poe…” she thought aloud, “Finn?”

“Nope,” Rey answered somewhat confidently.

“Alrighty then,” she trailed off as she looked up and to the right, thinking. “Well, I don’t take you for the kind of woman to be interested in a married man, or one who’s old enough to be your father…”

Rey braced for impact as she watched the faces of every man in town flash through Rose’s mind. It felt like a never ending wait, as though a drum rolled constantly in the background. After the moment reached its interminable end, Rey’s eyes focused in horror on how Rose’s face suddenly lit up with shock, her mouth falling open and eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

“So,” Rey spoke up (somewhat) nonchalantly, not letting the other girl say anything to reflect her sudden realization. “What do you know about Ben Solo?”

Rose’s mouth opened and closed silently for a few seconds. Rey smiled nervously, looking anywhere but her new friend. Eventually, she settled on what to say. “Can I ask why?”

“I’m sorry?” Rey hadn’t expected that.

“I mean, I suppose he’s a good looking man. If you’re into the brooding, darker-than-the-night type, I mean.”

Rey flushed and scoffed to feign offense. “That’s not at all what-”

“It’s alright, we all have qualities that interest us,” Rose shrugged mockingly, chortling. “Just- weren’t there _any_ men in Chicago? Surely a pretty girl like you could have found an acceptable gentleman there.” The statement made Rey pause and think about the men who had come to call on her in Chicago. For the most part, she had been too busy running Plutt’s hotel for her to even have time to notice any of the men who came around. But even when she had noticed one paying attention to her, she hadn’t been very interested in them. They were handsome, sure, but not at all what Rey felt she was looking for.

“There were, if you were looking for a greasy salesman.” The two girls laughed.

“To each her own, I guess.” Rose quipped. “Just…”

“Just what?”

“You saw what happened at the dinner party, so you know that he hasn’t had the smoothest past. And you do realize he’s nearly thirty, right?”

Rey’s face fell slightly. “Is he really?”

“Oh, Rey. Don’t let it discourage you. Some women in these small towns are forced to marry men twice his age.” Both women seemed to cringe at the idea of marrying a _significantly_ older man. Rose smiled kindly at Rey, who took it to mean that she wasn’t actually judging her for her newfound attraction. “Anyways, I can only tell you what I know. Which isn’t a lot of it, since Armie, Finn, and I got here after he was well into adulthood.”

Rey suddenly felt like a gossip, asking Rose for details about a man who she thought was handsome after twenty seconds of knowing him. “Wait, if you don’t feel comfortable telling me, you shouldn’t.”

“No, it’s pretty much common knowledge here, considering the Skywalker’s and Solo’s make up half of the population.” She took a breath, and then began her story. “Ben apparently had a rocky childhood with his folks. They didn't get along, so he spent most of his time here with Mr. Kenobi. Then, when he grew up, he built his own cabin on the back end of his mother’s ranch and started to stay out of everyone’s way. When we got here, he’d been living there for a while, and all was peaceful enough.

“That is, until last year. Leia and Han began to realize that they, and Luke for that matter, weren’t getting any younger. I was told that they saw how Kenobi had a will all lined up, and realized they had to do the same. So Leia told Ben that he officially stood to inherit the Skywalker-Solo Ranch. Which, you’d think he would’ve realized since he’s their only kid and Luke is a hermit.” Rose had interrupted herself to ponder that realization, but then shook her head to continue. “That’s besides the point. Anyways, Leia told him, and he lost his mind.”

“Lost his mind?” Rey asked. “What do you mean?”

“He up and left town. Told everyone that would listen that he’d never come back. Said the world surely had something more to offer than the ranches of ‘treacherous family’ . And that was the last we heard, until the dinner party, of course.” Rose stared at Rey, trying to gauge her reaction. The latter was quiet, processing the new information.

“He was awfully polite to me,” she finally let out.

“I’d hardly call his behavior at that dinner _polite_ , Rey.”

“No, no. He came by last week. To apologize.”

Rose gasped, and Rey jumped in her seat. “You didn't tell me _that_! That changes everything! What happened?”

Rey told her all that had occurred in their meeting, right down to the inflections of his voice or the movements of his toes. She would never admit it to Rose, but she had been playing that encounter over and over in her head since it had happened, so she had all of the details memorized. It honestly frightened her how much her heart would race as she remembered her hand in his, and how close he had been. She felt like a silly school girl, hopelessly in love with her classmate.

“I’m convinced you’ll be married in a year,” Rose decreed once she had finished.

“ _A year?_ ” Rey burst out. “I’ve just met him last week!”

“Time’s irrelevant, sister.” Rose smirked at her. “When I met Armie, he was a fumbling, nervous wreck. Told me that my hair was unkempt and that my blouse was stained. I was so upset! But, lo and behold, we were married six months later.”

“You’re crazy,” Rey muttered.

“I’d bet you a reel of fabric that I’m right!” The two then devolved into playful bickering. After settling their wagers and tying up their conversation, Rose made to leave, saying that she was due to tend the shop soon. Rey swore her to secrecy, terrified that this news would travel quickly through the incredibly small town, and then hugged her new friend goodbye.

“A year,” Rey muttered to herself after Rose had gone. She shook her head. “I’m certain this will all fade soon. And I’ll be sure to take the most expensive reel of fabric she sells.”


	6. Shooting and Smalltalk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you that updates would be fast now! I think the majority of my editing is done, so I hope to just rapid-fire these chapters from here on out. The story should start to pick up a little bit now, so we'll have to see where things take us... ;) As always, I hope you enjoy!

Two weeks seemed to evaporate before Rey’s very eyes. She had learned very quickly that she _still_ didn’t understand just how much work went into running such a large ranch. Rotating pastures, watering crops, and harvesting whatever was ready took up the majority of her time. The middle of August was, apparently, the prelude to the upcoming harvest season, and Rey worried that she would never be able to handle it. Fortunately Finn, of course, was a huge help most of the time; recently he had been pulled away from some of his usual tasks when a windstorm had torn a part of the roof off the barn. While he chopped wood and repaired it, Rey had assumed more of his work out in the fields.

Today, however, it seemed that she had finally managed to catch up with her to-do list. It was a Saturday, and she had decreed that she and Finn take the weekend off. Well, she mused, as “off” as one could. She still had to do some washing, fix a hole in one of her blouses and do the cooking, but it was still a welcomed reprieve. Finn had elected to go visit Poe over at the Skywalker’s, leaving Rey alone to wait for Luke to arrive. He had promised to show her how to shoot, joking that any proper western pioneer had to be a good shot. Rey had never so much as held a gun before, since Plutt’s hotel certainly wasn’t dangerous enough to warrant it.

Just as she finished washing the plates from her lunch, she heard the knock on the door. She quickly pulled off her apron, folded it on the back of her kitchen chair, and answered the door. Luke greeted her, and she welcomed him into her home.

“I see you’ve been quite busy sewing,” he commented. It was true- she had found the pastime to be quite calming in the evenings before she went to sleep. She had made blankets for nearly every seat, and had even tried her hand at making a few pillows. She planned to finish her new table cloth next. “Ben would be proud.”

Rey flushed, but then remembered that Luke was talking about Ben _Kenobi._ Flustered and embarrassed, she turned away and pretended to stoke the fireplace. “I hope so- I really have no idea what I’m doing here.”

Luke chuckled. “Nonsense, it really isn’t all too hard. The place is still standing after a month, so I’d consider that a victory.” Rey turned to look at him again, hoping her blush had faded, and smiled. “Now, let’s say we get this lesson underway?”

She followed Luke out the door and into the woods to the east of her house. They walked for quite some time, making sure that they were far enough away from the main portion of the property to avoid accidentally shooting someone. They remained in comfortable silence up until they reached a small clearing, with a hill in the distance.

“Alrighty, first step of the process is giving you your gun.” Luke, in addition to his own weapon, had carried a bag with him that Rey assumed contained the gun she’d use. “This one was mine as a kid, and belonged to my father before that. Time for it to find a new master.”

Luke removed a revolver from the bag. It was a shiny silver color, with black grips on the handle. He opened the cylinder, made sure that it had no rounds in it, and then handed it to Rey. “Luke,” she started, incredulously. “I couldn’t possibly take this- it’s a family heirloom!”

He chuckled. “Exactly.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m no Skywalker. You should save this for your family.”

Luke looked to her and the gun she was attempting to hand back to him. He put a hand up in refusal. “Too many people in this world don’t have enough family. As long as you're here, you’re an honorary Skywalker.”

Rey finally pulled the gun back towards herself, and examined it properly for the first time. It was an elegant weapon, beautifully molded and expertly maintained. Clearly Luke was quite good at cleaning his weapons- there wasn’t any trace that the gun had ever been held, let alone fired.

“Now,” Luke interrupted her examination. “Lesson number one: don't shoot yourself.”

+++

Several hours later, the pair emerged from the woods to return to Rey’s home. She had, surprisingly, picked up the skill rather quickly. Luke had admitted that he at least wasn’t worried that she would shoot herself on accident, which was praise enough for Rey. The pair chatted away.

“Once you’ve fired it a few dozen more times, you’ll have to bring it over so I can show you how to clean it.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she replied cheerfully. She was still buzzing with the excitement that was picking up a new skill. “Though I hope those shots will only be in practice.”

“Absolutely,” Luke laughed. “I didn’t take you for much of a hunter. More of a scavenger as opposed to a predator.” The two laughed, and walked around the side of the house to the front door. “Oh, I see you have company.”

Looking up, Rey took in the site of a black horse tied to the post in front of her house. Which, she quickly deduced, meant that Ben was there. Why, she couldn’t imagine, but as they approached, there he was. He stood on the porch, his hand raised up as though just about to knock. The duo had clearly timed things quite well.

“Well if it isn’t my favorite nephew,” Luke called. Ben jumped, whipping around on his heels to face them.

“Uncle Luke,” he nodded, regaining some of his composure. “You only say that because I’m you’re _only_ nephew.”

“Are you?” Luke asked, putting his hand to his chin and pretending to think about it. “Lucky you.”

By this point, the duo had themselves reached the porch, and climbed the steps to be on the same level as Ben. The younger man looked extremely uncomfortable, while Luke seemed as indifferent as ever. It was at this point that Rey decided to try and alleviate the situation. “What a pleasant surprise, seeing you here.”

“I’m so sorry to show up unannounced…” Ben started, and Rey instantly regretted her choice of words. She hadn’t meant to make him feel unwelcome- if anything, the butterflies in her stomach were a distracting reminder of just how welcome he was.

“Oh no, don’t worry about that. You’re always welcome here.” As the words flew out of her mouth, Rey flushed. In her peripheral vision, she saw Luke look at her with a raised brow, but she ignored it in favor of correcting her over eagerness. “But, uh, what can I do for you?”  
“Well you see, I was in town today at the general store. Mrs. Hux asked me to deliver your order, since she said you’d been so busy after the storm.” Rey’s first thought was to immediately question what order he was talking about. She hadn’t bought anything from the store in days, let alone anything that she wouldn’t have been able to go home with right away. With a sickening realization, Rey realized that her lack of remembrance was not due to a lapse in memory; Rose had clearly seen a chance to give Ben a reason to visit her. 

_When I see her again,_ Rey screamed to herself, _I’m going to kill her._

Returning to reality, Rey inquired as to where the package was. “Oh, here. Let me grab it.” Ben walked back down the porch steps, and retrieved the small bundle from his horse’s saddle bag. In just a few long strides, he was once again on the porch and handing the parcel to Rey.

“Thank you, Ben.” She took it and smiled politely. He gave a polite nod in return. “Luke and I were just about to have a cup of coffee, would you care to join us?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense,” Luke piped up. “Come on in, it’ll be chance for us both to get to know this lovely new lady.” Despite a few more sounds of protest, Luke eventually pushed the larger man into Rey’s home. The two sat down at Rey’s dining room table, while she walked into the kitchen with her package. Curious as to what her friend had sent as part of this rouse, she unwrapped the paper to find a small bag of Mr. Folger’s coffee, and a note. It read:

_Enjoy your “gift!”- Love, Rose_

Rey rolled her eyes, but was thankful for the well-timed physical gift nonetheless. She then got to work. She took the kettle to the well, filled it, and then returned to grind the new coffee beans while the stovetop warmed. Once done, she added the beans to the water in true western style and set it to boil. Realizing she had run out of tasks, she resigned herself to having to go out and face her guests in the dining room.

The two men, she saw as she exited the kitchen, were sitting in apparent silence. The tension was palpable, and every fiber of Rey’s being screamed for her to turn around and hide in the kitchen once more. Despite this, she put on a brave face and sat down at the head of the table. Luke was to her left, and Ben was to her right; the men broke from staring at each other to both smile at Rey, who apologized for the long wait on the drinks.

“No worries,” Luke replied. “Better to be waiting than working, I always say.” Rey chuckled, and once again the room fell into silence. She was at a total loss for words, and she inwardly prayed that the water would boil at twice its usual rate.

“So, uh, Miss Rey,” Ben broke the silence, clearing his throat first. “How are you liking western life? My mother tells me that you come from back east.”

“Oh, it’s quite pleasant. I enjoy how quiet it is here. Carriages and people in the streets could be quite noisy, especially at night.”

“Though I’m sure you enjoyed having more people to talk to,” Luke piped in.

“Well, not exactly. I never got much time outside of my cousin’s hotel, save for when I was running errands. I honestly have already made better friends here in Tatooine than I had in Chicago.” Rey readjusted in her seat, letting her hands fidget with the hem of her apron beneath the table.

“I’m glad you’re fitting in,” Luke grinned. “Tell me, what’s the lake like? I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting any of our nation’s Great Lakes.”

“It’s beautiful, I will admit.” She could picture it well- the huge expanse of water reaching the horizon, lapping up against the smooth beach. Rey had always wondered, as a little girl, how no one considered it to be an ocean. She knew, of course, that it’s fresh water made it a lake, but she felt that it’s immense size alone warranted it being called an ocean. Breaking her reverie, she continued. “Though I rarely saw it- any time I had the time to go to the public beach, it was always surely raining.”

“You’ll come to miss the rain, I bet.” Ben piped in, his voice uneasy. He sounded just as uncomfortable as he looked; Luke remained as calm as ever.

“I highly doubt that,” Rey giggled. “I’ve had enough rain to last me a lifetime.”

“See, Benjamin? Not everyone vehemently hates the desert like you do.” The biting bitterness of Luke’s voice made Rey’s skin crawl, and Ben turned a violent shade of pink. She couldn’t help but feel bad for him- Plutt had found his fair share of opportunities to antagonize her in front of complete strangers, and it never was a pleasant experience.

Before anyone could address the new tension in the air, all three heard the kettle begin to whistle. Rey excused herself to go fetch it, and had to force herself not to remain hidden behind the kitchen door forever. Filling some mugs that she’d found, she carried each carefully back to the two men in the dining room.

“…know I never said that, Uncle Luke.” Rey placed a cup in front of Ben first. 

“You know just as well as I do how wrong that sentence was.” She placed the second glass in front of Luke, and then was forced to return to the kitchen for her own cup and the milk to mix in. 

“…it’s right for you to be coloring Miss Rey against us. Just because _you_ decided that you wanted nothing to do with this place doesn’t justify you pushing her away. Speaking of,” Luke thought aloud as Rey once again seated herself at the table, “why _did_ you come back after swearing never to return?”

Rey squirmed in her seat, and elected to busy her hands by adding some milk to her mug. She didn’t much care for the gritty coffee without at least a little bit of dairy to dilute it.

“I know you think so little of me, but it is insulting to have you imply that I rode back into town just to scare off some newcomer.” Ben then lifted his own mug to his lips and took a deep sip. He stared at his uncle the entire time, and the opposite man held his gaze. Rey swore she could see daggers coming from both of them, and she was at a loss. Suddenly remembering that these two were electing to have this argument in _her_ home, she spoke up.

“I sincerely hope that my presence in town will not create any sort of rift between you two family members.” Luke and Ben’s eyes shot to look at her, as if they had completely forgotten that she sat there up until that very moment. “And I would just like the record to show that it would take a lot more than missing some _rain,_ or someone’s _errant_ opinions to remove me from my new home.”

Ben stared at her, agape. Luke turned away, and took his first sip of coffee. Silence hung between them all, yet Rey did not regret what she had said. Though her manners told her that her proclamation had been quite rude, her pride commended her for it. She continued to sip her drink, holding her head high and flickering her eyes between her two guests.

“Duly noted, Miss Rey.” Ben’s mouth had snapped closed right before reopening to speak. He seemed to consider chuckling to himself, but the expression was gone as fast as it had appeared.

The remainder of the visit seemed to go off without a hitch. Attempting to keep the conversation on the pleasant side of superficial, Rey had managed to entertain her guests with stories about her childhood. Before she was old enough to effectively work for Plutt, she had managed to get into quite some trouble. The story of one particular incident, in which she had crawled under a wagon, spooked it’s horse, and nearly been split in two by the runaway wheels had both men laughing. It was one of her only fond childhood memories. Though, at the time, she hated being assigned to help repair the damaged wagon, hindsight had led her to appreciate her time working on the vehicle with the local carpenter.

Eventually, the two recognized that their welcome was running out and stood to leave. Rey thanked them for visiting, and thanked Luke for his instruction earlier in the day. He left quickly to find his horse in the barn, while Rey walked Ben to the front porch where he had left his black mare.

“Thank you again for bringing me my package,” she expressed.

“My pleasure, Miss Rey.” Ben tipped his hat to her after placing it on his head. Rey rolled her eyes and smiled at the formality.

“Like I told you before, just Rey is fine. Though, if you’re so fond of calling me ‘Miss Rey,’ I’ll be forced to start calling you Mister Solo.” Rey gave him a rather large grin to betray her sarcasm, and was relieved to see the corners of his mouth raise.

“Right, sorry. Thank you for the coffee, Rey.”

“Anytime, Ben.” This time, he smiled at her for real before turning to approach his horse. He readjusted the cinch, and was about to climb up onto his mount’s back, when Rey’s mouth began to work without the consent of her brain. “I meant it, you know.”

Ben paused, and gave her a confused look. “I’m sorry?”

“Earlier, when I said you’re always welcome. And that it’ll take a lot more to scare me.” As she said it, she watched Ben drop his stirrup and once again climb up the steps of her porch. He strode up to her, to the point where he seemed to loom over her. His huge frame dwarfed hers, and he looked down at her from his vantage point. Rey’s first instinct was to let herself shrink away from him, but her pride overrode that desire. She set her shoulders straight and stared back up at him, while her mind betrayed her with recollections of the similar interaction of their first meeting.

“Is that so?” He whispered the words, and she quivered as his breath grazed across her face. She gulped, but said nothing. He smirked and continued. “I guess I’ll just have to come back and try harder then.”

The next thing Rey knew, Ben had once again reached his steed, and had clambered onto the mare’s back. She watched as he turned the horse away from her house and back towards the road. Turning his hips, he called out a “see you around” to her, before loping off towards his next destination.


	7. Ride to Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello! Here I am, back at it again with another chapter! Thank you all for the lovely comments on the last few chapters: I absolutely love reading them and am so glad you are enjoying this little tale! I hope that you continue to enjoy with today's chapter, but as always feel free to let me know what you think. Enjoy!

“And that’s how you properly seal the jar once you’ve got your preserves in it,” Leia instructed, watching Rey struggle to tightly seal the glass jar in her hands. It had turned out that making preserves was a little more complicated than just throwing some ingredients in a bottle and hoping for the best. After giving up on figuring it out herself, Rey had ridden over to Leia’s home to ask for help. The older woman was happy to oblige, and the two had spent the afternoon finishing Leia’s jars off. Now all Rey had to do was go home and use her newfound skills on her own produce.

“Thank you, Leia. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course! It took my mother at least a year to get all the recipes through my thick skull, so I consider myself lucky that you’re a quick learner.” Rey smiled, placing the final jar in the cabinet Leia had instructed her to. “If you think you’ve gathered enough harvest this year, I might even suggest building a cellar for your jars. Han built one for me years ago. Keeps things cool during the summer.”

“I never even thought of that,” Rey confessed. “I’ll talk to Finn about it, see what he thinks.”

Rey had now lived in Tatooine for a total of four months. Time had flown by for her once crops started ripening and preparations for winter started happening. She and Finn had been worked to the bone, but Rey was grateful for the hard work they had done- the harvest had been plentiful, and she was proud that she had managed to turn a profit for the ranch. But her work was never finished; even though winters were mild in the Arizona high desert, she still needed food and supplies to get through. With just a little more elbow grease and sweat, it looked as though they would have everything ready and squared away before the first frost.

In what time she had in between all of that work, Rey had become somewhat of an installment on the Skywalker-Solo estate. When she had time to spare or questions to ask, she could always find a helping hand there. She had steadily become good friends with Leia as they worked in the kitchen, and Han had occasionally asked her to help with his carriages from time to time. Throw in her weekly tea dates with Rose, Sunday dinners at the Skywalkers, and the increasingly frequent, unplanned visits from Ben, and Rey had found herself completely booked.

“There’s a good girl,” Leia praised her, patting her on the shoulder. Rey beamed. It was comforting to know that there was always someone around who was willing to teach her the ropes of managing a ranch. “Would you care for some lunch?”

Rey wiped her hands on her apron before untying it. “No, thank you. I think I’d rather go out and stretch my legs for a bit. Even go for a ride, after standing in this kitchen for so long.”

“Ah, a good idea. Feel free to take a ride around our land, if you’d like a change of scenery!” With that, Rey once again thanked Leia and then strode out of the house. Poe had taken Arfour back to the barn, but the man wasn’t around by the time Rey was ready to leave. Unperturbed, Rey began to tack Arfour up herself, happily brushing the horse and talking to him gently.

“You know, Arfour, I’d never really ridden a horse before I came here. I just walked everywhere, because a city that big kind of repeats itself. There was a store, a bar, and a blacksmith on nearly every street. I didn’t have to go far to get what I needed.” The horse nickered, which Rey took as a response to her statement. “Do you ever get sick of walking everywhere?”

“Only when he hasn’t gone running in a while,” a voice filled in for Arfour. Rey jumped, the brush flying out of her hand. Arfour then jumped in response to the airborne object, shaking his head up and down in fear. Rey whipped around, only to see Ben Solo standing in the door of the barn, leaning against the frame.

“We have to stop meeting this way, Mr. Solo.” Rey lifted a hand to Arfour’s neck, trying to soothe him into calming down. Ben approached her.

“I’m so sorry, here.” He bent down and handed her the forgotten brush. “Are you leaving?”

“I was actually just going out for a ride. Your mother offered to let me explore your ranch.”

Ben seemed to recoil at the idea of her calling it _his_ ranch. She had meant no harm from it, but suddenly thought better of it when he ground out, “It’s my mother’s ranch, not mine.”

“Right, of course.” Rey looked down at her boots from where they peaked out under her blue skirt. She had finished her new dress, and thought it turned out quite pretty. A small voice in her head wondered if Ben thought so, too.

“Would you like some company?” He blurted out the words messily, once again taking Rey by surprise.

“I’m sorry?” Her eloquent response made Rey cringe to herself.

“If you’d like, I could ride out with you. Not to frighten you, but mountain lions have been known to pop out every now and again around here.” Ben smiled meekly at her, and Rey’s brain worked overtime to produce a comprehensible reply.

“I would very much like that.” Smiling, she internally berated herself for sounding overeager. Despite it, she saw Ben’s face light up into a smile. “But don’t get it twisted- I am perfectly capable of defending myself.”

After Ben chuckled at her assertion, the pair sat in a comfortable silence while she finished tacking up Arfour and he tacked up his horse, Star. She had asked for the horses name as she complimented the beautiful black mare- her mane was enviable, being so long and voluminous. Ben had cracked a joke that it took too long to brush, and the laughter helped to ease the tension between them. Rey thought back to Rose’s words, and couldn’t help but hope that his apparent nervousness was a good sign. She chided herself for once again acting like a fool.

Despite how often Ben had come to visit her, things still sometimes managed to feel tense between them. Not in a bad way, Rey would assert, but still in a way that took her breath away each time they met. With how many times he had come to visit her in the few months that she had lived in the desert town, they had slowly but surely gotten to know one another. She had learned that he had a quick wit and a shocking sense of humor, and she relished in the fact that they would easily spend a few hours chatting with each other whenever he visited. The time she spent with him seemed to move by in a blur, pushed forward by the racing of her heart and her overactive imagination. Today appeared like it would be no different, and she couldn’t help but beam at the idea of another few hours spent with Ben.

They rode out of the barn and headed north, towards the far end of the Skywalker estate. There was a trail that led out towards the cattle land, wide enough for the two horses. They followed it for some time, before Ben broke the silence this time.

“I hear Chicago is lovely in the summertime,” he quipped.

“I suppose, if you like your weather unbearably humid and constantly raining,” she answered back. He chuckled. “At times it could be beautiful, though. I wish I could have enjoyed more of those summer days.”

“What kept you?”

“The hotel,” she sighed out. “Growing up there for twenty years still apparently wasn’t enough time to finish all of the work.”

“I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to bring up bad memories.” His apology made Rey realize that her tone had betrayed her melancholy memories.

“No, you’re alright. It’s in the past now.”

A beat of silence passed, before Ben dared to ask a question. “Why did you stay there? It sounds like it was an awful place to work.”

“I owed Mr. Plutt,” she paused, realizing that it may sound odd to refer to her own flesh and blood that way, “I mean, my cousin Unkar. He was my only living relative, and he took me in when my parent’s passed. I was only two.”

“Oh Rey,” he sadly murmured. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Rey never really knew how to accept condolences from people- she really had never known her parents, and the words always seemed to bounce numbly off of her. Sometimes she wondered if that made her a bad person, to be so unaffected by the mention of her parent’s demise. But she had to tell herself that it was just a result of healing that could only come with time. “I still am very grateful for him keeping me mostly safe all those years. Though, I must be honest and say that I do wish that the state had let me come here instead.”

“You mean to Kenobi’s?”

“Yes. I didn’t even know he existed before your uncle wrote me a letter.” Ben brought Star to a halt, and Rey let Arfour walk up beside him. She paused as well, and saw that Ben had turned to focus directly on her.

“You mean to tell me,” he scoffed, “that you inherited an estate from a man you never knew?”

Rey worried that he was upset about this, that maybe he thought that she had somehow swindled her way into the fortune she had inherited. The same anxiety that she had felt when she told Plutt she was leaving bubbled in her stomach. It didn’t seem so unfeasable- after all, he _had_ accused her of doing the unthinkable to come into the land when they first met. Though, she reminded herself, he had apologized. That should be the end of that matter. It was then that she recalled what Rose had shared about his feelings regarding his own _legitimate_ inheritance. It would be silly of her to believe that he would be jealous of her inheritance given what she knew. Quickly enough, her courage returned. “Mr. Kenobi apparently knew my parents, but didn’t know that they had died. Luke was the one who tracked me down, as their next of kin.”

Ben’s face drew out of its confusion to a more neutral expression, and he squeezed Star forward. Rey followed suit. “Talk about one hell of a life story,” he said after whistling to indicate how impressed he was.

“I guess so,” Rey recovered from her panic. “But I’m sure you’ve lived out quite the life story yourself.”

He chuckled darkly. “While I’m sure you could say that, it doesn't live up to your story.”

“No?”

“I spent twenty-eight years in a town that doesn’t exist to the world. Sure, I spent six months traveling the country, but that’s over now.” Rey, confused, gave him a quizzical look. He didn’t look at her, instead keeping his eyes focused on the scenery in front of them.

“You make it sound like adventure comes to die in Tatooine.” Rey turned forward, looking glum.

“I’m pretty sure it does, Rey.” Now it was her turn to stop, and he nearly passed her before he noticed Arfour had quit moving his legs.

“I may be the naïve newcomer, but coming here has been the greatest adventure of my lifetime.” She looked him dead in the eye, even going so far as to put her hands on her hips while she sat in the saddle. Arfour threatened to nibble on the foliage around them now that his reins were loosely sitting around the horn of the saddle. “You can find excitement no matter where you are, even if it’s not the excitement you were expecting.”

The pair just stared at each other, reading the other’s expression. Rey’s face was covered in determination; she was convinced that, if he gave this town another chance, Ben Solo could get whatever he was looking for out of life. Meanwhile, Ben looked… Rey couldn’t really describe it. A small part of her whispered that he looked _awestruck,_ but she squashed the thought. Despite herself, her cheeks flushed. Ben smiled and looked away.

“You’re just full of surprises, Miss Rey,” he chuckled.

“Why thank you, Mr. Solo,” she grinned in return.

The pair rode on for quite a while longer, occasionally discussing some aspect of their surroundings together. As it turned out, Ben was quite the plant expert. He could name all the flowers and trees and bushes, and even told her some of the purposes they served both in the home and in nature. Rey found it calming, as well as insightful, to listen to him go on and on about the different species. After what was probably an hour and a half, they reached the top of a small hill that overlooked a pond. Beside that pond, a small cabin rested.

“What a cute little house,” Rey commented. It was a log cabin, with a proud stone chimney at the back and a large window on the longest side. Though it was small, Rey got the impression that it was rather cozy inside.

“Thank you.”

“That’s your house?”

“Yes, sir. Built it myself.” Ben pointed to himself as he explained that it was his handiwork. He seemed quite proud of himself, and Rey couldn’t help but feel her stomach flip at the idea of Ben moving all those heavy stones himself. She _had_ to get a grip on herself.

“You picked a beautiful spot,” she observed. Anything to pull her mind (and her eyes) from his broad chest.

“I spent a lot of time out here, as a kid. It was only fitting that I lived here when I grew up.”

Rey smiled softly to herself. Now she pictured a small Ben, with oversized ears and lanky limbs, swimming in that pond and playing in the trees just beyond it. It was a sweet thought. “How I would have loved to grow up somewhere like this.”

“Careful what you wish for, sweetheart.” Ben glanced at her, and then immediately turned away from her again. It was quiet again, with Rey unsure how to answer him. She couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to live in a place like this. The grass must seem greener, she told herself, in the crowded cities of the east.

“Excuse me if this is too personal,” she started before her brain could consent to the action, “but may I ask why you hate it here so much?”

Ben’s eyes widened, as if the question was exactly too personal. She immediately wanted to take everything back. Couldn’t she have phrased that more delicately? Or, she asked herself as she begged to evaporate away, couldn’t she have just kept her mouth shut?

Rey thanked every lucky star she had when he answered kindly. “Well, you see, I didn’t always get along with my folks all too well.” Rey sat in silence on top of Arfour, watching the sun cautiously creep down towards the horizon over the picturesque house. “My parents were always busy with the ranch or fighting with each other, so there really wasn’t much time for me.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” she blurted out. She felt awful for pushing him to answer. “I’m sorry to bring it up.”

“It’s no problem.” He waived her off casually, twisting ever-so-slightly in the saddle to face her better. His right forearm came to rest on the horn, draping across the pommel while he put his weight on it. “I told you that I spent a lot of time with Ben Kenobi. But even then, I felt like the lone ranger in these parts. I was the only kid in town at the time, and I can honestly say that being the only _teenager_ here was worse.”

“I’m so sorry,” was all she could muster to say.

“Don’t be,” he asserted. “But to answer your question- I guess that being lonesome makes you dream of finding someplace where you aren’t. I’m sure you can understand.” The pain in his voice made Rey’s heart shiver. She knew _exactly_ how he felt.

“You don’t have to be alone anymore,” she whispered out against her better judgement.

“No?”

“Not as long as I’m around.” She smiled at him, and couldn’t help but let her heart sing when he smiled back. Not just his usual smirk or half-hearted grin, but a true, brighter-than-the-sun smile. It was boyish and lopsided and _perfect_ , simultaneously making ever hair on Rey’s body stand up and every nerve fire at once. She didn’t want it to end, but feared that if he kept looking at her like that that she would spontaneously burst into flames and perish.

Turning away from her too soon and not soon enough, Ben looked up at the sun getting low in the sky. He turned Star away from his home back towards the barn. “Come on, we’d better get you home.”

“Shouldn’t you just stay here? You’re already home.”

Ben turned Star back around once again. “And let a young lady ride home alone in the dark? I don’t think so. Let’s get a move on.”

The rest of the ride was uneventful. The sun fell quickly as they rode, and their conversation was limited. The silence was comfortable, which Rey was grateful for, but it gave her too much time to think about what her heart was feeling. She spent more time staring at him than where she was going; luckily Arfour was surefooted and needed little direction. She thought about all that Rose had told her, and all that he had told her himself. A lot of it seemed contradictory- so many people had painted him as some kind of trouble-making hellion, but he in reality appeared to be a shy, quiet soul. A shy, quiet soul that had been pushed to the brink and beyond by the same profound loneliness that had haunted her for decades. The thought made her heart screamed that she could do something about it. She could _change_ that for him, be the person to break through that loneliness. But it wasn’t her place to make the first move, and she wouldn’t risk alienating herself to him by professing unrequited feelings. Not when, as far as she knew, she was the closest thing he had to friend in Tatooine.

The Kenobi Ranch came into view just as the last of the light died. Dismounting in front of the house, Rey watched as Ben turned to ride back to his home.

“Wait!” She called after him. Star stopped dead in her tracks. “You rode all this way, at least let me make you some supper.”

“I thank you for the offer, but it’s already late. It’s a long ride back home, so I’d really best be-”

Rey’s mouth was forming words that her brain had no say in. “You could spend the night here.” Both she and Ben flushed, each of them acutely aware of how the words came across. Stuttering, Rey amended her statement. “I mean, I have a spare bedroom. It’s already dark, you shouldn’t ride home now.”

“I really couldn’t…”

“Please?” Rey’s brain _screamed_ at her tongue. What on earth was she thinking? Begging a man to stay the night with her, even if it was _not_ in that way _,_ was not at all like her. Now Ben was sure to see through her thinly veiled feelings for him, and would be spooked, and he’d run off and make her the laughing stock of the entire town…

“Alright.” The words barely registered between Rey’s ears. Ben jumped off of Star, and the two walked towards the barn. Finn greeted them there, warily eyeing Ben from his spot next to Rey. When she asked him to untack both of their horses and put them in stalls for the night, she saw how Finn nearly allowed his jaw to rest on the ground. Thankfully, he said nothing, and begrudgingly did as he was asked. Then the odd pair began their short walk to the house to spend the evening together before bed.

What had she gotten herself into?


	8. Western Pleasures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter! Can you tell that I'm running out of creative ideas for these little notes? No? You must just be being nice, hahaha. Sorry if today's chapter is a little short, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. As always, feel free to let me know what you think, and have a wonderful rest of your day!

Rey practically locked herself in the kitchen as soon as they walked into the house. She claimed that she would start cooking dinner, and that she didn’t need any help. In actuality, she used the brief alone time to completely panic about the mess she had gotten herself into. How she longed to be able to ask Rose what to do! She waded through the endless worries she had about what everyone would think, knowing that Ben had spent the night at her home, alone. She inherently knew that Ben would be a perfect gentleman, but did they? Would they assume the worst about him? Or her? She hated the idea of being labeled the town harlot less than half a year into her stay in Tatooine.

Snapping herself out of it, Rey took several deep breaths. It was too late now. She had made her bed, now she had to lay in it, almost literally. The only thing she could do would be to take things one step at a time, and that first step involved tackling what to make for dinner. Sure, she had been a cook for years at Plutt’s hotel, but that didn’t mean she was a _good_ cook. What if he hated it? What if he hated her? She pinched herself, once again grounding in reality. Whatever she made would be fine, but better to stick with her best dish. Frantically, she began to make her famous (and hopefully not _infamous_ ) beef stew. Her pulse calmed as she put the meal together, her brain managing to return to near level-headedness up until all of the preparations were done. Now all she had to do was wait for it to heat through, and serve.

She couldn’t just hide in the kitchen.

She had to go out and entertain him, like a proper hostess.

She wanted to die.

Putting on her best brave face, Rey waltzed back out of the kitchen to find Ben sitting on the couch, reading one of the books from the shelf on the wall. He looked up and grinned softly at her, making her heart melt. She was doomed.

“Dinner should be ready soon,” she informed him, wiping her sweaty hands inconspicuously on her apron.

“Thank you,” he answered. He closed his book, setting it down on the coffee table. Realizing he was preparing to talk to her, she forced her legs to move, one at a time, towards the couch. She sat on the end as far from him as possible. Uncomfortable silence filled the room.

“So, I-”

“Do you-”

The pair interrupted each other, and both flushed. Rey signaled for Ben to go first, and he nodded in thanks. “Do you really think you’ll stay here? In Tatooine, I mean.”

The depth of the question caught Rey off-guard. But, then again, she supposed that they had spent all day hitting deep topics. “I think so,” she answered honestly. “The way I grew up, I thought I would be trapped in Plutt’s hotel for the rest of my life. But to be here, to see how much that this country has to offer… I don’t think I could ever go back.”

Ben hummed in acknowledgement, carefully thinking about his response. He adjusted in his seat to face her more, letting on arm rest on the back of the couch, and letting his cheek rest against the knuckles of that hand. Finally, he spoke again. “How lucky to have fate bring you such a sure future.”

Confused, Rey stared at him. His eyes searched her face in return. “What about you?” Her question was selfish, desperately hoping that he would say that he was there to stay.

“I don't know…” he trailed off, now scanning the room around them.

“You still want to go, even now that you’re back?” Rey couldn’t help herself. She desperately wanted to know what had driven this man away from this town and his family. She would have given anything for half of what he had; why did he want to throw it all away so badly?

“Call me an idealist,” he said as his eyes returned to hers. “When I was a kid, I would sit on this very couch, and Ben Kenobi would sit just where you are now. And he would tell me these stories, about the infamous bandit Darth Vader. I _loved_ them, hanging on every word as he would tell me all about how he would travel the world, robbing trains and holding up banks. It was a little boy’s fantasy.

“When I got older,” Ben continued, “Kenobi got around to telling me the end of the story- the great Darth Vader found a girl, and was so head over heels in love with her that he gave it all up. He hung up his mask, settled down, and lived happily ever after.”

Rey listened intently, but interrupted him here. “What does that story have to do with you staying in Tatooine?”

“I guess because I’m too much like him,” he stated somewhat sadly. It was almost as if he was disappointed in himself, but it passed as he continued his tale. “Right around when I found out how the story ended, it came out in the rinse that Darth Vader hadn’t been a fairytale. I was going through some old boxes in my parent’s cellar, and found an old wanted poster for the guy. When I brought it to my mom, she was horrified. But by then it was too late; I knew he was real, so my parent’s had to tell me the truth.

“Darth Vader was the pseudonym of Anakin Skywalker, my grandfather. He had terrorized the west for _decades_ , met my grandmother Padmé, and then gave it all up.” Ben then chuckled to himself before adding, “Mom was _furious_ when she found out Ben had been telling me those stories for all those years. Turns out Ben and Grandpa had been sheriff’s together, before he became Vader.”

Rey smiled at the small detail, always eager to learn more about the man that she owed everything to. But her mind was still whirring through the information, and she still had unanswered questions. She studied his face. “So you want an adventure to rival your grandfather’s.” It was statement, more than a question, but it would do.

“I suppose you could say that, yeah.” Ben looked back into her face now, too. He had a strange, knowing look in his eyes. “A younger me always wondered if he had made a mistake, coming back here.”

Rey was about to continue, when the smell of her stew wafting through the air reminded her that she was still cooking. Excusing herself, she left to finish up the meal.

+++

Their dinner conversation was not nearly as lofty as their earlier one. Rey was growing accustomed to the comfortable silences that filled pauses in their conversations; she realized that they weren’t signs of a dying exchange, but rather Ben just enjoying the moment. In the blink of an eye, dinner was finished. Rey gathered the plates, but as she went to pick up Bens, he caught her wrist gently.

“Let me help,” he offered.

“I couldn’t possibly let you; you’re my guest.” He allowed her to grab the plate, but by the time she had placed it on top of her own, he was already standing.

“I’ll fetch the water. Then you can wash, and I’ll dry.” Rey sighed and rolled her eyes, but Ben merely smirked at her. Allowing this to happen, she walked into the kitchen and pulled out two clean rags from beneath the sink basin. When Ben returned and poured the water into the basin, she quickly lathered her rag and began to wash the dishes. As she finished, she would hand them to him to dry with his own rag.

“This was nice,” Rey thought aloud.

“It really was,” he complemented in return. “Tatooine is lucky to have you.”

Rey blushed, concentrating even harder on staring at the pot in her hand. “You’re too kind, Ben.”

A few more moments of silence passed between them. Rey was finishing up the final dish when Ben spoke again. “I hope this town is the start of a beautiful future for you.” It was a strange comment, leading Rey to recognize that he felt that he wouldn’t be a part of that future. Her heart dropped, afraid that the man next to her had just made up his mind to leave town forever.

“It could be for you, too, you know,” Rey whispered, so afraid of how he might respond.

“I don't think a beautiful future is in the cards for me, sweetheart.” The nickname made her heart flutter, but his sentiment saddened her. Her heart broke for him, knowing how the world, and even himself, had labeled him as a lost cause.

“Stop that,” she scolded him as she finished washing the last plate. “What are you so afraid of?”

“Afraid?” He took the dish, but refused to dry it as confusion crossed his face. Rey’s hands found themselves coming to rest on her hips.

“You believe that everyone here thinks you’re a scoundrel. And like some kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, you think you have to do your part to prove them right.”

Ben’s mouth flapped open a few times before he managed to get his words out. “I’m… not a nice man, Rey.”

“No, you’re not. You’re an incredibly gentle man who has shown me nothing but kindness since I arrived here.” At this point, Ben had set down the plate and rag. The two items completely forgotten, the pair now were facing each other. Rey stood below him, staring up into his large features, while his amber eyes stared down into her own. He was so close to her, his large frame looming over her invitingly. Everything in her screamed to lean up to him, to press her lips against his, but that was not her goal here. She had so much more to say. Staring him right in the eye, she told him what she truly felt.

“I know that fate will bring you your own beautiful future, Ben.”

“I’m afraid that it already has.”

The world slowed around them. Rey’s lashes fluttered as she watched Ben’s lips lean in towards hers, his eyelids slowly lowering. She hauled herself up onto her tiptoes, meeting him halfway and letting her eyes fall closed as well. Their lips connected in the middle, the space evaporating between them. Rey let her arms come up to wrap around his neck, desperate to hang on, while his large hands encircled her waist. The kiss was magic- she reveled in his warmth, the friction between their lips everything she had ever dreamed of. Her fingers played with the long hair at the nape of his neck. And they stayed like that for what felt like forever and a second at the same time, before Ben pulled away and grinned down at Rey.

“Goodnight, Miss Rey.”

As he disappeared out of the kitchen, Rey remained rooted on the spot. In a daze, she put away the dishes before finding her way to her own room. As she hit the top of the staircase, the only sign of Ben was the closed door to the spare bedroom.

That night, she dreamt of warm kisses and a cabin beside a pond. 


	9. Last Straw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh the holidays got away from me! I hope you and yours have been enjoying this holiday season! Sorry about not posting for a few days, but I'm back now-hooray for not leaving this fic high and dry for another six months, lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

When Rey awoke the next morning, Ben was gone.

Though part of Rey was disappointed, another part of her was grateful. How did one follow up such an intimate meeting? In fact, Rey thought to herself in a panic, what would anyone think if they found out what had happened? That was surely _not_ considered to be gentleman-like behavior. They weren’t even courting, and yet he had captured her lips with his and effectively told her that he saw her as his future. The memory and the idea made her head spin, and she found herself sitting on the edge of her bed for far too long before getting up for the day.

It was not long until Finn was pounding against the back door. Rey opened it calmly, trying not to immediately erupt into a flush. “Would you care to explain what happened last night?” He asked instead of greeting. 

“Nothing happened,” she peeped out. It came out defensive and high-pitched, exactly how Rey _didn’t_ want it to sound.

Finn leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest like a disappointed parent. “Rey…”

“It was late,” she explained embarrassedly, “so I offered for him to stay in the spare bedroom. I know that some folks might not think that was right, but I didn’t want to see him getting hurt in the dark.”

Finn’s eyes narrowed at her. “Is that so?”

“It is.”

“And nothing happened? Or is going on between you two?”

“Nothing more than what is going on between you and Poe!” The words slipped out of Rey’s mouth before she could stop them. Her hand immediately flew to her mouth as she watched Finn pale. Even if she had noticed how much time they spent together, and the way that they looked at each other, it was a horrible thing to say. Tatooine seemed like the kind of town where no one would bat an eye at that kind of relationship, but Rey knew that something like that could get Finn killed elsewhere. “Finn, I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean it-”

Finn’s eyes were the size of dinner plates, and Rey wanted to dig herself a grave and lie in it. Things were surely ruined between them now; he would quit, and she would be left without a farmhand or a friend on the ranch.

When he started to chuckle, it was Rey’s turn to look surprised.

“I suppose we don’t do a very good job of hiding it around here,” Finn laughed to himself cautiously. “We’re very lucky to not have to worry about what anyone thinks here.”

“Finn, I mean it. I shouldn’t have said that. I overstepped my bounds.” Her voice bordered on desperate. She just wanted him to know how truly sorry she was.

“No harm done, peanut.” His words calmed Rey’s rapidly beating heart. “But if you say that it’s nothing more than what happens between Poe and I, then we _really_ need to talk.”

Blushing beyond red at Finn’s insinuation and where her filthy imagination took her, Rey invited Finn inside to talk about what had been going on. She told him all about Ben’s visits to her home, about how he looked at her, and how he made her feel. She told him about the ride they had gone on the day before, and how he had been such wonderful company through dinner. And then she told him about how he had kissed her, and how she was both glad and sad to see that he had gone come sunrise.

“You should have seen him this morning,” Finn finally got to speak. There was a lot of history from the last few months to fill him in on. “I have known Ben Solo from a distance for a few years now, but I have _never_ seen him walking around _smiling_ like a thief on payday.”

Rey’s flush grew deeper, if that were even possible. “You saw him?”

“Ab-so-lutely, when he came to get his horse this morning. Don’t think he paid me much attention though. He seemed _preoccupied._ That’s when I ran up here to check on you.”

“My knight in shining armor,” Rey quipped, and the pair laughed. “I just wonder why he left, without saying goodbye.”

“Who knows,” Finn shrugged. “Maybe he realized how _unseemly_ things looked and hoped to get out of dodge before anyone noticed.”

“But he knew that you had seen us together,” she retorted.

“True.” His brow furrowed, deep in thought. “I really don't know then.”

“Well, today is Sunday,” she thought allowed. “I guess I’ll just have to pull him aside tonight at dinner and ask about it.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me.” Finn rose from his seat on the couch, and Rey followed suit. He walked to the door to begin his chores, but stopped just before exiting. “Don't work too hard today, Rey. Keep up your strength for _other activities_ tonight.”

Rey threw a pillow at him, hitting him square in the face before he made his exit. _Now I guess I know why they’re called throw pillows_ , she chuckled to herself before moving to make breakfast.

+++

Ben was not at dinner that night.

And he wasn’t around that week, either.

Rey tried her hardest not to let it disappoint her. She tried to keep herself busy- with winter quickly approaching, she tried to balance between her chores on the ranch and her many Christmas gift crafts. In such a small, close-knit town like Tatooine, everyone needed a thoughtful gift. She was barely halfway down the list, and she already was running out of ideas.

Despite how busy she was, she still found so many of her thoughts flitting back to Ben. There hadn’t been a week since Luke had taught her to shoot where Ben hadn’t come to visit. What was even stranger was that Leia reported over tea that she hadn’t seen him all week, either. She usually at least saw him coming and going from his little cabin by the pond, but this week there had been no sightings. Rey started asking around, and found that no one had seen him. Poe hadn’t seen him on the Skywalker grounds anywhere, Chewie reported he hadn’t been at the post office, and Rose confirmed that Ben hadn’t visited her or Armitage for two weeks. It was beyond strange, and Rey was beginning to worry.

It wasn’t until that Monday that she heard something. Rey had stopped by the Skywalkers to help Han with repairing his plow. She was good at putting all the metal pieces back together, and had even found ways to improve the design. Just as she was finishing, Poe walked in and interrupted their conversation about the best designs for quick-draw rifles.

“Sorry, Mr. Solo,” Poe apologized. “Can I borrow Miss Rey for a moment?”

“Of course, Poe. Don’t let an old sheep herder like me keep you occupied, Rey!” Han’s chuckle was contagious, and the three laughed as Rey excused herself out of the shed to talk to Poe.

“Don’t be mad,” Poe started. Rey’s heart stopped for a moment, fearing that something bad had happened. “But Finn may have told me that you are on the lookout for a particular, good-looking Solo.”

Rey’s face erupted into scarlet flames. Why was she always made to flush like this? Trying her best to keep the embarrassment from her face, she answered, “I figured you and Finn came in a secret-keeping package.”

It was Poe’s turn to go scarlet. “Well, we make a great trouble-making team.” He shot Rey a huge grin, making her roll her eyes and smile.

“Anyway, yes, I have been looking for him. Have you seen him?”

“He just got back,” the curly-haired man explained. “Wouldn’t say where he’s been, though. Left the main house in a hurry. But I bet if you ride down now, you’ll catch him right as he hits his cabin.”

Rey thanked Poe for the news, swore him to secrecy, and was off in a heartbeat. Deciding to leave Arfour in the pasture, she walked quickly down the path towards the pond. It was a beautiful day, and she was grateful for the sunshine on her face and the stretch in her legs. She really needed to take more walks, she mused to herself, since her winter sewing had been keeping her tied to her chair.

A half an hour later, and she was cresting the hill that overlooked Ben’s cabin. The chimney looked as though it were just beginning to fill with smoke- Poe had been right about the timing. She all but ran down the hill, being mindful to pick up her skirts so as not to tumble down to her doom. Star was tethered to a tree next to the small home, eating grass happily.

Knocking on the door, Rey was suddenly overwhelmed with panic. She hadn’t thought this through- what was she going to say to him? She feared that he would think of her as overbearing or desperate, bursting in to demand where he had been. But she calmed herself by asserting that this was all just friendly. She had missed her friend, and was paying him a visit. Nothing wrong with that, right?

When the door opened, Ben looked to be in a sour mood. Clearly, her visit was a surprise. “Oh, Miss Rey.”

Out of habit, he bowed his head to her respectfully. She curtsied instinctively. “Hello, Ben.” A beat of silence, almost awkward. “May I come in?”

“Oh, um,” a large hand came up to scratch the back of his neck before he finished his reply. “Yes, of course. I was just putting on a spot of tea.”

It was a cute little one-room cabin. There was a small kitchen in the corner, with the fireplace occupying the short wall facing northwest and a large window on the longest wall facing the woods. In the opposite corner, his bed sat pushed up against the wall. The room was small enough to preclude him from having a couch, so he gestured for Rey to sit on the edge of his bed.

“I’m sorry,” he offered. “I don’t usually have guests here.”

She sat down. “That’s quite alright.”

The silence that filled the air felt… off. It was not the casual, easy silence that she had come to associate with visits with Ben. Somehow, he felt colder, more distant, and like she was very much so not welcome. “If this is a bad time-”

“No, no.” He busied himself with getting the kettle from the fireplace. He dug two mugs from his cabinet. “I just got back, that’s all.”

“From where?” She tried to keep her tone casual, but it still came across needy. Rey cursed herself for it.

“Not important,” Ben chuffed out, not looking at her.

“I see.” Rey was starting to feel miffed. After what had happened, after what he had said, she really thought that something amazing was happening. Maybe she was foolish, she realized. Maybe her visions of bright, sunny days courting and cool, winter nights spent in love were misguided. Maybe he felt it was a mistake. She had to ask. “Ben, we need to talk.”

He still wouldn’t look at her. “Rey, now’s not really a good time to talk about what happened...”

“No,” she pushed, looking around the room since he refused to look at her. “I thought something was happening with us, and then all of a sudden you disappeared for a week. Did I do something wrong? If I misunderstood, or you don’t feel the same way for me, then please, feel free to tell me so I can-”

Rey’s words died in her mouth. As her eyes had traveled around the room, they had come to rest on his nightstand. Next to the piles of well-loved books and a pitcher for water, sat a necklace that was all too familiar to Rey.

Beyond that, Rey’s eyes fell on the form of her beloved father’s watch.


	10. Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Sorry about the cliffhanger, I hope you don't hate me for making you wait, hahahaha. We are getting so close to the end, I can't believe it! As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

“Rey, I can explain.” Ben, now staring at her, had turned to see what had stolen the words from her throat. His eyes had drifted from the nightstand to her own, and a sickening realization had crossed his face. Now, his already pale features were white as a ghost.

“Where did you get this?” She asked, her hand slowly moving to grasp her most treasured possession. She had thought it was gone forever, taken by the cruel bandit on her journey to Tatooine. The metal was cool in her hands, but so calming in its familiarity.

“I…” His hesitation brought Rey’s eyes from the watch to Ben’s. He was clearly trying to come up with a lie. She could see it in his eyes, those big, impossibly-dark eyes…

The same eyes as the bandit who had stolen from her on the road.

It all suddenly made sense- the big black mare, the secrecy, the desire to have no one in Tatooine know where he was going or for how long… Her eyes left his face, darting around the room. Sure enough, sticking out of a dresser drawer was the very mask that had struck such fear into her heart on her way to her new home.

She walked over to it, ripping it out of the half-closed drawer. The drawer fell open, and inside she could see his gun- what had he called it?- his _Ren_ , unloaded as it waited to inflict more pain onto others. Reaching for it, she held it up to him, anger taking over her mind. “What the hell is this?”

“Rey, stop, it’s not what-”

“It’s not what I think?” She balled the mask up and threw it at him, the soft fabric hitting him painlessly in the chest. “Because I think that this looks an awful lot like you might be the _infamous_ Kylo Ren!”

He stood there, silent. The gig was up. He was caught. She was _seething_. “Is this some kind of game to you? I mean, really, you think you can just galavant around, ruining people’s lives?”

“That’s not what I do!” He was growing angry now, not willing to put up with her antics for much longer. She didn’t care.

“Stealing isn’t ruining people’s lives? You stole _this,_ ” she held up the watch with her other hand, “from _me._ The only keepsake I had of him. And then what? You decided to come back to Tatooine to see just how miserable I could be?”

“That’s not why I came back.” He was trying to stay calm, but it was failing.

“Then why did you come back? Just to mess with my head? Or is it just a coincidence that you returned the same day I did, after declaring you would never be seen here again?”

“No!” He was yelling in return now. “I knew something was wrong, that you wouldn’t be coming here for without a reason…”

“Why not stay a bandit? What did you care that I was coming to the town you swore against?!” She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She felt violated, as though she had been spied upon. The man who had held her up at gunpoint with the very gun she now held, who had stolen from her, and who had made her second guess her decision to move west- was the same man who had had the nerve to kiss her in her kitchen.

“Because that ranch was supposed to be mine!” He screamed, and silence filled the charged space between them. She stared at him, the pistol falling out of her fingers onto the floor. His chest heaved with deep, aggressive breaths, and for the first time in a long time, Rey felt afraid. Afraid of what he could do, or had done.

“You actually did it,” Rey whispered with sudden understanding. “When you told me about what Kenobi had told you, how you envied your grandfather… You actually followed in his footsteps.”

Ben looked away from her in favor of studying the neat wood floor. “I wanted something _greater_.”

The admission reignited Rey’s blood. He had thrown it all away, everything that she could only have ever _dreamed_ of having, because he felt it wasn’t good enough. She chuckled darkly. “Right, because being the wealthy heir to the Skywalker estate wasn’t _great_ enough.”

“That is _not_ my home.” He growled, taking a step towards Rey. She tried to step back, knees hitting the frame of the bed. “I took every chance I could to get away from here. _Far_ away from here. My parents had no time for me, they never wanted me. But suddenly, when they got old and realized that their life’s work was going to evaporate with their souls, suddenly _then_ they had time for me.”

“But to abandon them for a life of crime? To _torment_ others?”

“I would have come back!” He once again was yelling, and despite her instincts telling her to run, Rey held her shoulders straight as he loomed over her. “If Kenobi had asked, I would have come back. He was the closest thing to family I had in this god-forsaken town. I would have taken his land, made it into what it _could be-_ “

“You petulant child!” Rey screamed back. “You had the world by the ass and threw it all away- for what? Because you wanted _Kenobi’s_ ranch instead of your mothers?”

“You have no idea what growing up with them-“

Rey felt something snap inside of her, as if the final straw that held up her will for politeness and sympathy finally broke. She nearly growled, her anger boiling over. “No, no! Talk about one hell of a temper tantrum! Are you really that immature and selfish? Don’t look at me like that, like I don’t know what I’m talking about. Because I do, Ben. I’ve lived through _hell_. I spent the first two decades of my life as a glorified slave to my cousin. I barely had food to eat or clothes to wear, and I can’t even count the number of creepy bastards I had to fight to keep away from me. So don’t tell me that living a storybook childhood with your loving parents on their ranch was awful! Don’t tell me that having a legacy is a curse!”

Rey’s chest heaved from yelling, her fists balled up unconsciously at her sides. Ben just stared at her. “Your ranch,” he finally ground out between his teeth. He was seething, which only made Rey angrier. “Should have belonged to _me._ ”

“Kenobi was right, not to leave you that land. Because the _boy_ who stands here now?” She paused, and looked him up and down. He glared back, but she held his gaze. “Is just a child hiding in his grandfather’s mask.”

She pulled her eyes off of him, collecting her necklace and watch before pushing past him. She never looked at him again, walking out of his cabin as fast as she possibly could. Her legs felt numb as they carried her back up the hill towards the barn. The sun was setting, and the air was cooling off. Wrapping her arms around herself, she didn’t stop until she had reached the Skywalker’s barn, and collapsed in the hay beside Arfour’s stall to sob.

+++

“Rey?!” Poe’s voice was high pitched with concern. The young girl opened her eyes, immediately flooded with panic. She had no idea where she was, or why there seemed to be needles poking into her back, or why Arfour was staring down at her with concern in his large eyes…

It all came back to Rey in a sucker punch. It had been nicer to dream away the nightmare that was the night before.

“Rey, sweetie.” Poe walked up to her, kneeling beneath the haystack. She was disheveled, hay in her hair and her dress all wrinkled. She didn’t care. “Why are you asleep in here?”

Rey’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly. She had no idea how to tell Poe what had happened. And if she did, she knew that he would immediately report him to Hux. _Not that he doesn't deserve it,_ Rey thought to herself darkly. But then she corrected herself, reminded that, impossibly, that man was still Ben. The man who she had so desperately hoped felt the same way for her as she did him. Instead of replying, her tears answered Poe well enough.

He shooshed her, trying to calm her. He wrapped her in a tight hug. “It’s alright,” he whispered, “you’re alright. Let’s get you some place to warm up, okay?” As if his words suddenly reminded her, she shivered. Early November nights, even in the high desert of the Arizona Territory, were cold.

The pair walked wordlessly from the barn, with Poe occasionally pulling straw from Rey’s mussed buns. After the third or fourth pull, she gave up and let her hair down from her classic triple buns, shaking out the offending material. For a while, she paid no attention to where she was being led, too heartbroken. But soon enough she recognized that he was taking her to Han and Leia’s house. While part of her was terrified that they would ask questions about what happened, her concern was overridden by the primal need to get warm.

Poe pushed the door to the kitchen open slowly, trying not to attract too much attention. It was still early- the sun had barely risen above the horizon during their trek to the house. But alas, Leia was an early riser. She stood in front of the stove, kettle heating, when she turned to look at Poe. “Oh, good morning Poe! To what do I owe the-”

Her eyes fell on Rey, whose face was still red from tears and surrounded by hay-covered hair. “Mrs. Solo, I… well, I found her sleeping in the barn, next to her horse.”

Leia rushed over to Rey, who refused to look at her. She placed two strong hands on her shoulders. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?” Rey shook her head in the negative.

“I think it probably is best if I go.” Leia nodded, and thanked him for taking care of Rey. Before he left, Rey looked up at him, and gave him a weak smile of thanks.

The older woman directed Rey out into the sitting room of the grand house. It was as neat as it had been when she had first visited it, all those months ago, but it still felt lived-in and welcoming. They sat on the couch, and Leia held Rey’s hand until she was ready to speak.

“I don’t want him to get in trouble,” she started shakily. Leia’s eyes widened, as though her mind had jumped to dark places.

“Rey, if he hurt you…”

“No, no. Not like that,” she assured. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak as she processed through the events herself. “I just thought he was different. He was so kind, and gentle, and I really thought that we were close…”

Rey’s sentence was interrupted by a sob, which Leia patiently comforted her through. She once again resumed. “When he talked about the future, and when he had kissed me so lovingly… Oh, Leia, how could he do something like this?”

Leia wrapped her arms around the younger girl, shushing her as she cried harder than she ever had in her life. “Oh, my sweet Rey. What did he do?”

“If I tell you,” Rey gasped, “his life will be over.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Leia tried to console Rey. But she had no idea, no clue what he had been doing for the last year…

“He’s Kylo Ren.” Her sobs wracked through her as she said it, and Leia froze around Rey. She felt so much worse then. It hadn’t occurred to her how devastating that news would be for the man’s very own mother.

Sitting up, Rey moved back just enough to try and read Leia’s face, but it was unreadable. “How do you know?” Leia asked, her expression stony. Rey reached into her pocket, pulling out her father’s watch.

“This was my dad’s,” she explained. “The one that was stolen from me on the way here. I found it on Ben’s nightstand when I went to visit him. And then-” she hicupped between words and tears- “I found his mask and his gun in the drawer.”

Leia nodded solemnly, taking the watch to look at it herself. The material looked as though it weighed a ton in her aging hands. She sighed. “We’ve suspected this,” she slowly said, “for a long time.” 

Rey’s eyes widened immediately. “Suspected?” She cried out.

“Indeed.” The word sounded so final coming from the defeated-looking woman. “After he left, and reports of a masked bandit who rivaled Vader in his mercilessness came in… Luke and I put it together pretty quickly.”

“Why didn't you report him?” Rey had pushed herself away from Leia, horrified. “Why did you let him torment so many people, threaten them with their lives…”

“I was selfish,” was all Leia could offer. “He was my son. It was so hard to come to terms with the idea, let alone the truth. In the end, I was paralyzed by fear.”

“We can’t just let him continue to do this!” Rey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Strong, independent Leia had stood by while her son terrorized the west. And though Rey knew that she couldn’t understand the pain of a mother losing her son, she still was angered by the idea that she, or anyone, could have done _something_.

“You’re right, of course.” Leia took a deep breath before sighing it out. “I can’t continue to sit here helplessly. And Lord knows that if I don’t do something, you certainly will.”

Rey tried not the gleam at the backhanded compliment towards her unwavering devotion to the law. “So what do we do?”

“Well, we’re left with a choice,” she explained. “To do what is right by the letter of the law, or to do what is right for Ben.”

“You don’t mean to say that you want us to continue to play dumb? That would make us accomplices, Leia!”

“Yes, it would,” she agreed with a gloomy half-laugh. “But I know that boy: being shipped off to the territory prison won’t get through to him.”

“Then what will?”

“If my old eyes have not mistaken me,” she reasoned, “I would stand to guess that my son has something that he would truly rather not lose.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Of course, I’m sure he’s stolen something immensely valuable to him.”

“Oh Rey,” Leia’s laugh was a stronger sing-song chime this time, tinged with both mirth and sadness. “Not something physical. If my Ben is as much like his grandfather as he claims to be, then there’s only one thing that can bring him back from the brink.”

“And what’s that?”

“Love.”


	11. Ultimatum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I can't believe its 2021 already. I really thought I was going to have all of this fic uploaded before the new year... oops! I also realized that I can't count and mislabeled the number of chapters on my outline, so as an apology for the loss of the last chapter that never existed, I'm going to post the rest of the fic now. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I'll see you as we race to the end!

Rey had done a lot of hard things in her life. She had cooked for dozens of hungry men daily for the better part of twenty years. She had scrubbed floorboards so hard that her fingers had bled. She had carried bags of horse feed and potatoes miles back to Plutt’s hotel, and had still been asked to put on a smiling face for the creeps that she was hosting. She had thought that she knew what _hard_ was. But she realized, at this moment, that she had no idea what _hard_ meant.

Cresting the top of that scenic hill, Ben’s cabin was alive. Smoke poured from the chimney, and the light from his fireplace fought to tumble out the windows against the early morning sunlight. Rey stood there for a moment, watching the unassuming home chug along as though nothing had ever happened. She envied it’s unchanging nature, and wished for nothing more than to run away from it screaming.

“If you’re having second thoughts,” Luke reminded Rey that she was not alone, “we can do this another way. I’m not entirely convinced that this is going to go the way you think.”

  
“Hush,” Leia scolded her brother. The set of twins had insisted on coming with Rey on this harebrained scheme. After all, it had been Leia’s idea. Luke had completely disagreed with it, but Leia’s iron will eventually won out. “You’ll do fine, Rey.”

“And listen kid,” Han’s voice broke in. He also had come along, if only just to get one last adventure in with his two best friends. “If anything goes sideways, just shout and Falcon and I will be halfway to the sheriff before you can say ‘blast it’.”

“Falcon’s such an old nag,” Luke teased, “he’ll be half-dead before you can say ‘damn it’.” Han made a face, and Leia laughed. The trio’s playful banter helped to put Rey more at ease. Smiling herself, she turned to once again to look at the serene cabin by the pond.

“Let’s keep a little optimism, kid.” Han rode alongside Arfour, getting close enough to pat Rey on the shoulder. “You’ve got this.”

Dismounting, Rey left Arfour in the company of the Skywalker-Solo’s. Her feet carried her cautiously down the hill, her brain screeching for her to turn back with each step. This was an insane plan, she thought to herself. A plan that could not only force Ben into ruining his own life, but that could end up breaking her heart in the process.

All too soon, Ben’s front door was before her. It took all of her strength to lift her hand to the wood and rap on the surface.

“Piss off, I’m not taking visitors.” His voice carried through the door, and Rey’s hand froze just centimeters from the material. With another burst of courage, she knocked again. “Hux, if you’re here to arrest me, you’ll have to bust the door down and kill me first!”

The anger in his voice made Rey shiver. She had never seen him like this. He had always been so gentle around her, save for their first meeting, that she had never stopped to wonder what he was like around other people. _Maybe,_ her mind offered, _that’s why Leia thinks this plan just might work._ With one final surge of bravery, Rey knocked a final time, more forcefully than ever before.

After three heavy footsteps, the door shot open before her. “Listen here you red-haired devil-” Ben froze, his eyes moving from where he had expected to meet Armitage’s eyes, to Rey. His features hardened. “Rey, I don’t know what you’re doing back here.”

“We have to talk,” her voice was shaky, and the words reminded her all too much of what they had been the week before. It seemed like a lifetime ago, the memory made fuzzy by how many times she had to repeat the tale. Leia, Luke, and Han were the only ones to know what had happened, but recalling the events three separate times had made the actual memory feel more like a dream than a reality.

“I really don’t feel like arguing again, Miss Rey.” He moved to shut the door, but Rey’s foot moved without her permission to block it from reaching the frame. She was shocked by her own boldness, but begged for it to carry her through the rest of her mission.

“No, you’re going to listen to me, Benjamin Solo. Even if you hate everything I have to say and kick me out afterwards, you’re going to sit there and listen to what I have to say.” Ben’s eyes widened, clearly just as surprised by her outburst as she was. Slowly, he opened the door wider, an invitation to come in. Pushing past him, Rey gave one last glance to the three riders on the hill before the door closed behind her.

She did not sit down this time. When he gestured for her to do so, she shook her head, and instead insisted that he sit down. _Like scolding a child,_ Rey chuckled inwardly. _Yeah, a very stubborn, over-grown child._

“I’m all ears,” he gestured vaguely with his hand, as though signifying that she had the floor. She stood ramrod straight, her arms crossed over her chest.

“You deserve to be rotting in prison right now.” The statement was dripping with her anger and hurt. A vindictive part of her hoped it stung. “What you have done is horrific. But what is even more disgusting is that you did it for the thrill of it.”

He held her gaze, his jaw working as though he were actively biting his tongue. At least he was sticking to his word, and listening to what she had to say. “Your family loves you. They want the best for you, and would have given you the world on a silver platter. Not everybody gets that, Ben. I realize that maybe I don’t get it, having grown up alone, but I would _kill_ to have even one-quarter of what you have. Even if things were hard, they want to welcome you back with open arms. That should mean something to you.

“As for your self-proclaimed stake in Ben Kenobi’s ranch,” she re-squared her shoulders and held her chin high, “I want to apologize to you.” Ben’s expression morphed from thinly-controlled anger to confusion in an instant. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it at a threatening look from Rey.

“If I had known, back in April, what that house had meant to you, I never would have come. Mr. Kenobi just felt he was returning the favor to my parents. I never knew him; never heard his laugh or shared in his life’s journey. If I had known… If I had known _you_ , and seen how all of this would’ve changed your life…”

Ben just continued to stare at her, but Rey had to look away. The tears were coming, and she knew that she had no strength left to fight them. This was her moment, the do-or-die that would make or break the whole plan. She couldn’t run now. And in her heart of hearts, she realized that if she didn’t tell him now, she never would.

“Benjamin Solo, from the moment I arrived in this town, I was captivated by you. Even though every person in this town warned me against you, told me that you would cause nothing but trouble for me, I let you in. And I couldn’t understand why they said the things they did. Or how the man in the stories they told was the same man who fetched me water after a needle prick; who would visit every week, and sit in my living room making me laugh until I cried; who wanted to know who _I_ am just as much I longed to know him.

“The same man who-” Rey’s tears were pouring now, full force. She had to fight to push her words out past them. “who kissed me in my kitchen, and made me realize that I was _shamelessly_ and _desperately_ in love with him. You’ll have to forgive me if I am being too bold,” she shook her head, embarrassed by how _needy_ she sounded, “but I came here today to give you a choice.”

She refused to look at him. Her shoulders were shaking harder than she ever thought possible. It took her several beats to regain enough control to continue. This was the end, the last objective to her mission. She would give him his choice, and leave.

“If you still think that you’ve found your future,” she cried; “and you still want it, then I beg you to choose _me_. Be greater than the past, Ben. Let the past _die._ ” Her voice was cracking, and she struggled to retain her composure for her final thought. “But if that's not what you want… then I’ll give you three days to get out of town before I report you to Sheriff Hux.”

Without giving him another glance, she turned and walked right out the door. She could hear his footsteps behind her, chasing as if he was going to give her a piece of his mind. But she was long gone. His footsteps stopped in the doorway. Looking up, Rey knew that the silhouettes of his family on top the painted hill kept him from going after her.

Han moved forward, looking to see if Rey was giving him the sign. When she shook her head, all three riders seemed to relax. She had done what she was asked, and now all they had to do was wait.

When Rey reached the three of them, Leia had already dismounted. She ran up and enveloped Rey in a huge hug, rubbing the back of her head as she cried. “You did it, little Rey. That’s all you could do. The rest is up to him.”

“I told him the truth,” she gasped out. “I told him every last bit of it.”

“We’re so proud of you, Rey.” Luke’s hand now patted her on the shoulder. “I wish it could have been different.”

“No one should have to put their heart out there like that,” Han added. He too came to stand beside Rey, though his hand came to rest on his wife’s back. “You did good.”

As the moment passed, the four friends made to once again mount their horses, and head back to the Skywalker home. They rode in silence, Ben’s unmade decision hanging heavily in the air around them.

Three days later, Ben Solo was nowhere to be found. 


	12. Cowboy Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

The light dusting of snow that came before Christmas was magical. It was so odd to see the high-desert covered in the fluffy, white substance, but for Rey it was just the reminder of Chicago that she needed. She had grown up with white Christmas’s. She was glad that was something she didn’t have to give up.

Rey busied herself in her kitchen, as many pots boiling on the stove top as would fit. Leia had insisted on hosting the holiday at her home, just like years prior, but Rey wouldn’t have it. The Skywalker-Solo’s had been so kind to her, and had hosted nearly the entire town every Sunday for years. She wanted to return the favor, and at present was killing herself to make sure the meal was as perfect as possible.

It helped her, she had learned, to keep busy. Keeping herself moving and working kept her mind off of him. It had been wonderful, as the cold finally set in for good, because she was able to finish up many of the projects that needed finishing before winter. Once the weather kept her more tightly bound to the indoors, it had gotten hard again. She had then taken to going hunting with Han and Luke on the sunnier days, and she was more than proud that she had been the one to hunt the turkey that she would be serving that evening.

The stress of preparing and timing the plethora of dishes was calming. Now that everything was cooking away without her, she stopped to enjoy the sounds of various dishes simmering over the stove’s fire. Mingled with the voices of her friends drifting through the kitchen door, it was the most peace she had felt in a long while.

“Please let me help you,” Rose pushed through the door. Her bubbly voice made Rey smile. “You can’t cook for everyone all by yourself!”

“Too late,” Rey giggled. “It’s all on the stove or in the oven. Besides, you did more than enough by bringing all those cookies with you.”

“Nonsense. I’m just so glad to be here.” Rose came up and threw her arms around Rey in thanks. Rey’s eyes filled with unbidden tears.

“Oh Rose,” Rey choked out. “Thank you for being here.” The other girl pulled away to look at her, keeping her in arm’s reach.

“Of course, Rey. You’re my best friend.” The admission made Rey’s gentle tears fall harder, but she smiled despite them. Rose once again pulled her into a tight hug. “I have something that will cheer you up.”

“You do?”

“But only if you promise you can keep a secret.”

It was Rey’s turn to pull away from the hug. “Promise.”

Rose smiled hugely, forcing Rey to smile too. “You can’t tell _anyone_. I mean it, I haven’t even told Armie yet.”

“What kind of trouble are you in now?” The two girls giggled, the anticipation building in Rey’s stomach.

“The best kind,” Rose quipped. “I’m expecting.”

Rey squealed, her hands coming up to her cheeks in surprise. “Congratulations!” she exclaimed. “How long have you known?”

“I started suspecting a few weeks ago,” she explained, “but I was officially late last week.” Again, Rey squealed, and once again enveloped her friend in a hug.

“This is so exciting!” She half-yelled.

“What is?” Finn’s voice entered the kitchen, followed by himself and Poe. The two girls jumped apart, looking guilty.

“Nothing!” They both squeaked out in unison. Poe raised an eyebrow at them.

“That sounds convincing,” he joked. The four laughed, Rey hoping that they would drop the subject. Thankfully, they did.

“We were starting to wonder if the stove had eaten you two alive,” Finn said. “You’re missing the party!”

“Go on out there,” Rey waved. “Have fun! I just have to watch the food.”

“C’mon, it won’t burn while you come out and talk to everyone for a few minutes,” Poe pled.

“No, it’s okay, I’d rather just-” Rey’s words were cut off by the exact same look coming across each of her friends faces. It was an expression that told her that they saw right through her thinly-veiled excuses. They knew why she didn’t want to go out there. They were just too nice to accuse her of it themselves.

“What’s up, peanut?” Finn broke the silence, and then moved to sit up on the counter. He motioned for Poe to sit next to him, and then patted his thigh when he did. Rose leaned into the corner where the countertops wrapped around the room. Rey knew that she wasn’t getting out of this one, so she too sat on top of the countertops where she had space.

She sighed sadly. She could lie, but that wasn’t fair to them. No, she would have to be honest. “I just… I thought things would be different. I thought that maybe he would have…”

Rey didn’t have to finish that sentence. Once Ben had left, Luke and Leia had known that the rest of the small town’s occupants would start wondering where he had gone. They had told Rey that it was totally within her right to tell whoever she wanted what had happened, or to only give small bits of information. Of course she had told Finn, Poe, and Rose. They had been the ones to comfort her as she spent days crying on her couch. They had been the ones to take over some of her responsibilities while she grieved. And even still they were the ones who constantly were checking on her, making sure that she had anything and everything she needed to move on.

They knew what she had thought. That Ben would be here, by her side for Christmas. That they would be building something together by now. That he would have chosen her instead of the life he was leading.

“I’m sorry, Rey.” Poe offered sheepishly.

“It’s okay,” she offered back. “Yes, it’s hard right now. But I’m so lucky to have you guys here with me. That’s what matters most.”

All three of her friends beamed back at her. She smiled softly, too. These were the people who were there for her no matter what. They were what mattered.

“Come on,” Rose said as she pushed away from the counter. “Let’s enjoy tonight. Besides, I’m really excited for everyone to open their gifts!”

+++

Dinner went off without a hitch. Everyone ate to their heart’s content, and offered multitudes of compliments to Rey’s cooking. She soaked in all the joy around her. She had never experienced a holiday like this, surrounded by people she loved and who loved her in return. For a while, she was able to forget how much her heart ached.

Gifts were opened, and Rey’s smile was enormous whenever someone opened a gift from her. But of all those that she gave, the one to bring tears to her eyes was Luke’s. His blue eyes grew watery as he opened a framed photograph of him and Ben Kenobi, taken when he was Rey’s age. She had found it while she was cleaning the small attic, and knew that it was something that he would treasure. He had smiled at her, and given her the warmest hug she had ever received.

Just as the last few gifts were being opened, a knock was heard against the door. Rey called for whoever it was to enter, and cheered when Chewie stepped through the door. He had been sent up to Salt Lake to retrieve some post from the larger office, and hadn’t expected to be home in time for Christmas Eve. Everyone was thrilled that he had managed to make it, especially Maz, who all but tackled him as he walked in the door. She was awfully spry for such a small, old lady.

“I brought the mail with me,” his gruff voice announced. “Figured I would save y’all a trip to the office next week.”

Chatter resumed as everyone marveled at the gifts they had received, or at letters they were handed. The warm room felt so bright, and Rey was proud that she had managed to bring everyone together for a holiday celebration. The pile of dishes in the kitchen and the cleaning that would need doing was well worth it, in her estimation.

“And last but not least, here’s one for you Miss Rey.” Chewie handed her a letter, with beautiful script spelling her name on the front. She frowned, not recognizing it. Seeing her confusion, Chewie noted, “There’s no return sender; thought that was weird, me’self.”

Rey thanked him, and moved to sit in the armchair next to the couch. Who could possibly be writing her? The only people who she knew well enough to warrant a letter were Billy Baker and Plutt. Everyone else she knew well was in the same room as her, and this penmanship didn’t belong to either of her out-of-state acquaintances. Brow still furrowed, she opened the letter and began to read.

_My dearest Rey,_

_I would not be surprised if you immediately took this letter and threw it into the fire. I would deserve it, so please feel no shame if that is indeed what you do. I wish so much that things could be different, and that things had not been left as they had._

_If you are still reading this letter, which I doubt that you are, I am writing to you from the Jefferson Territory. It is mighty cold here; I fear that my previous visits here were during much warmer months. I cannot disclose to you why I am here, for fear that you may reverse your decision to not inform the authorities about my identity. I still do not understand that- why did you not tell Hux? Why is my face not scattered across wanted posters in every town I visit? I always took you as a woman of your word, Rey; it baffles me that you did not follow through with your promise. Do I need just wait long enough for word to reach these desolate parts? Or, if I dare write it, do the deepest hopes and desires of my heart have some foundation in reality?_

_I think about what you said to me in our last meeting daily. So much of it is true. Even so much of what you said to me when you first learned of what I am is true- though it has been hard for me to accept that fact. I have hidden behind a mask, physically and metaphorically, my whole life. I have to face that. I also must face that you may never know why I left, the journey I am on, or the choices I have made. But I hope someday you may, and that I can be the one to tell you where I have gone._

_I hope you are well, and send my family my wishes._

_Merry Christmas,_

_Benjamin Solo_

Somewhere between the time her eyes had first read his opening and when they left the page, silence had fallen across the room. Everyone stared at her, as though they knew exactly who the letter was from. Even if they did not understand what had happened to Ben, they knew that he would write to Rey. Expectantly, they waited for Rey to summarize his words.

“He says the Jefferson territory is beautiful this time of year,” she told them. “and he wishes everyone a merry Christmas.”

Slowly, the room returned to easy chatter. As discretely as possible, Luke and Leia approached Rey to ask what the letter contained. She handed the letter to Leia, who then passed it to Luke.

“Perhaps we should have informed Sheriff Hux,” Luke whispered uncertainly as soon as he finished reading. He passed the letter back to Rey, who quickly tucked it back into its envelope.

“No,” Rey immediately answered against her better judgement. “I still have hope for him. It’s like I can sense that he is… changing.”

Luke looked to Leia incredulously, and the older woman just shrugged. “You ask a mother to make an impossible choice, Luke.”

He sighed deeply. “You’re right. None of us should have to be the one to make that call.”

“Besides,” Leia added, “haven’t you noticed how quiet things have been? Perhaps he has truly taken what Rey has said to heart.”

“An absence of news regarding his tyranny may only reflect his willingness to hide out from the law,” Luke countered. “He may go back to his ways yet. He did leave when given the option, after all.”

Rey winced at his words. It was painful to recall the desperate hope that he would stay after she left his cabin for the last time. She spent three days hoping that he would turn up at her front door and tell her that he had picked her…

Leia’s hand on her shoulder broke her from her train of thought. “What do you think, Rey?”

Rey did not answer for several beats of silence. She really had no idea. He had chosen to leave, and she had vowed to send the sheriff after him. But when the three days came and went, and his horse was gone and his cabin stood empty, she couldn’t do it. She knew justice needed to be served, but more than anything she just wanted him to come _home_. It was selfish, and it was wrong. She knew that.

“If anyone should have to do it,” she stated unsteadily, “it should be me. I gave him my word. But I know there is still good in him. I have to believe that. And if things don’t change…” she looked at the aging twins, who seemed exponentially older under the weight of Ben’s actions. “If all hope is lost, then I’ll be the one to tell Hux.”

The twins nodded to her in unison, before splitting away to rejoin the party. Rey was immediately met by Finn’s concerned glance, but she shook her head to show him it was alright. She couldn’t let Ben ruin her first Christmas with her new family. With heightened resolve, Rey pushed out of her seat to join Chewie in a game of chess.

Much to everyone’s surprise, she won.


	13. Future Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the penultimate chapter! Well, it's really the last chapter of this fic, but I still had to write an epilogue because of who I am as a person. So, without further ado, the conclusion! I hope you enjoy!

Winter faded away slowly, much like how the icicles on Rey’s home melted away. After Christmas, the new year had been right around the corner, and then suddenly the temperatures were climbing and the world around Rey was turning much more green.

It had been a rather forgiving winter, according to what Luke had told her. Years past had brought mountains of snow and blistering winds, but this year had been much kinder. He claimed it was mother nature breaking Rey into life out in the wild west, and Rey laughed at his mysticism. She was grateful that the long, boring months were spent with her friends; the passage of time was made more exciting as Rose began to proudly sport a small bump around her midsection. Rey had hosted a party for her to celebrate the upcoming arrival, with the crowning jewel having been when Armie cried tears of joy.

As life returned to the outdoors, Rey’s list of to-do’s grew proportionally. Today, she found herself riding into town to gather supplies and pick up her mail. Both she and Finn had made a list of things that needed buying whenever either of them were in town next. Dismounting and tying Arfour to the hitching post, she made her way into the familiar general store.

“Good morning, Rey!” Rose greeted from behind the counter. As per usual, she held a book in front of her that seemed to hold her attention very poorly. “I wasn’t expecting you in town today!”

“Well, I’m anxious to start a new knitting project. Leia’s been trying to teach me, and I think I may be able to finally conquer a sweater. Plus, Finn is practically hounding me for things he needs to get started on the cellar.”

“Probably more anxious to have an excuse to invite Poe over to ‘help with construction,’” Rose joked. Rey giggled along with her, before the two dissolved into their usual, easy conversation.

Once the yarn was selected and the nails paid for, Rey wished Rose goodbye. She made the other girl promise that they would have their weekly tea date that weekend, and insisted that she would send Finn with a carriage to pick her up. Rose was grateful, because walking all the way to Rey’s ranch did not seem ideal.

Depositing her purchases in Arfour’s saddle bags, she made her way to the post office. She was there almost as often as she was at the general store; Billy Baker had never forgotten Rey. She wrote him back and forth consistently, sharing how things had changed on the ranch or about her experience in the west. He would tell her about his grandchildren, his wife, and how Lake Michigan looked from time to time. It felt nice to remember where she had come from, and to keep in touch with that part of her story.

Today, she was mailing her letter in return to Billy’s latest one. Walking in, she rang the bell on the counter and waited for Chewie's heavy footsteps to come down the stairs. “He’ll be right with you!” Maz called from the back room.

“Tell him to take his time, Maz!” Rey called back. Sure enough, Maz came tumbling out of the back room to greet her.

“Oh, Miss Rey! A lovely surprise!” The small woman beamed.

“Hello, Mrs. Bacca.”

“Stop, you’ll make me feel old!” The two women giggled, and Chewie’s footsteps finally could be heard overhead. “What’s new around town?”

“Not much,” Rey admitted. “Everyone is in a tizzy trying to get set up for planting season. What’s the news from the outside?”

Maz smiled. As the postman’s wife, she tended to be the first one to hear the news as it filtered in from around the country. “Well, there’s talk that Grant is going to turn Colter’s Hell into a national park.”

“Oh, how lovely,” Rey responded half-mindedly, her focus shifting to studying the various stamp designs displayed on the countertop.

“Yes, yes. And I overheard Chewie talking with the sheriff that the Erso’s stolen fortune was returned to them.”

“Stolen fortune?” Rey asked, unfamiliar with the incident.

“Yes, they’re one of the families that own the railroad companies. It was taken from them while they were moving from Texas to California, by that Kylo Ren figure.”

Rey’s eyes immediately shot up from the countertop to Maz. “What do you mean returned?”

“Returned, silly! Are you feeling alright, dear?”

“Returned how?”

Maz looked at Rey strangely, but answered her question regardless. “It just turned up on their doorstep, with a letter of apology. Apparently, these returns have been happening for months now. If I had to reckon, I’d say the bastard’s returned everything he’s ever stolen by now.”

Rey must have looked like quite the fool, with her mouth hanging open and her eyes as wide as dinner plates. Returned goods? Letters of apology? Why hadn’t anyone told her this?

“What’d you tell the poor girl now, Maz?” Chewie’s deep voice questioned as he finally appeared through the doorway. “She looks like she’s seen a ghost.”

“It’s nothing,” Rey quickly answered, not wanting to draw attention to the topic. They didn’t know why the news of Kylo Ren would have hit her like a punch to the jaw. They couldn’t know, she told herself, because then they’d maybe report him to Hux, and he’d be thrown in prison after all…

“Well, if you say so, kid.” Chewie continued to stare at her with concern, but moved about retrieving her mail. “You’ve got a letter, by the way. Looks like Han’s kid has something else to say to ya.”

He handed Rey the letter, and she hurriedly handed him the letter to send to Billy in return. She thanked the two in a rush, and was out the door before she could listen to the married couple’s conversation.

“She sure is hot for Solo,” Chewie crudely remarked.

“Well, if what I suspect is true,” Maz smiled knowingly before hitting Chewie playfully on the arm for his statement, “I’d say he’s got it worse than she does.”

+++

Rey didn’t wait to even get back to her horse to open the letter. Sitting on a bench outside Lando’s saloon, she ripped the envelope open and let her eyes scour the page.

_My dearest Rey,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. Once again, I fear that you may already have discarded this letter, before even opening it and reading it. Alas, my desperate hope wills me to pen it for you, even if this may be the case. I will apologize in advance for its brevity; I am due to depart my current location shortly._

_I wonder if word of what I have done has already reached you. I already have seen some of my deeds written across various newspapers as I come and go throughout the states and territories. Surely some of it has reached my Uncle Chewie’s post office. Or perhaps I am too much of a narcissist. Regardless, it is my belief that you know what I have done, and that perhaps it has helped to clarify the choice I made in November. I would like to thank you for not telling Sheriff Hux who I am; you have blessed me with the opportunity to do right by those I have wronged._

_I made my choice to do all that I have since done the very day you discovered what I was. And now, having completed this mission, I return to Tatooine for good. Even if you never speak to me again, and I spend the rest of my days in my cabin alone, I will die knowing that I did what is right. Again, I thank you for helping me make that choice._

_I am sending this letter ahead of myself. It is my hope that I will arrive in Tatooine a few days after its arrival. I have no expectations for what our reunion will be, but it would be a lie to say that I do not have hopes. When I see you again, Rey… I hope that fate is kind to me._

_Yours truly,_

_Benjamin Solo_

It would be a lie to say that, when she was done, Rey did _not_ run back into the general store as fast as she could. It would be a lie to say that she did _not_ scare the living daylights out of Rose, and it would be totally untruthful to say that her heart was not beating at a hundred miles a minute.

+++

Every scrape of wind against the log cabin that Rey called home made her jump. She constantly imagined hoofbeats coming up the road, or the sound of someone rapping on the door. She was effectively useless around the ranch; she couldn't focus on any task, and was too jumpy to finish anything well enough anyway. Finn had been completely understanding, and if he was irritated by the amount of work piling up, he said nothing. Instead, he loyally kept watch for any sign of Ben Solo, and insisted that he would stay close if an unplanned visit were to occur.

Rey sat in her living room, quietly trying to knit her sweater together just as Leia had shown her. She was rapidly growing frustrated. Leia had done it with such practiced ease, and Rey’s unpracticed, distracted fingers continued to misstep constantly. It felt as though for every stitch she made, she had to undo four. Truthfully, Rey was considering throwing the whole project away and claiming to have never started it in the first place. That’s when the knock on the door came; the knock that she had waited four days for.

The knitting needles nearly went straight through her hands.

Time moved slowly for Rey. Her body felt like lead as she pushed it up and towards the door. She was a bundle of nerves, so afraid of how this meeting would go. She feared that he blamed her, that he would never forgive her for pushing him into doing what he did. She worried that he would ask for them to keep their distance. She wondered if he would make a final pass at her land, thinking that her admission to being willing to give it up meant that she was still willing to part with it. And a deep, dark, desperate part of her soared at the idea that maybe, just maybe, he was coming here to assume his rightful place at her side.

The door opened to reveal Ben Solo, standing as impressively tall as ever on her porch. He held his hat in his hands as if he had been anxiously spinning it between them. He nodded politely, and she in turn offered him a brisk curtsy. And then they just stared at each other, not knowing what to do.

“May I-”

“Would you-” They both stopped, before Rey chose to finish her sentence. “Would you like to come in?”

He nodded in the affirmative, and walked through the doorway. Rey shut the entrance, and turned to see that he had seated himself on her couch. She took the armchair. “Did you get my letters?” He asked, uncomfortably folding his hands in his lap.

“Yes.”

“And did you-”

“Of course,” she stated more calmly than she had expected. Internally, her entire being was screaming ten thousand different thoughts and ideas and emotions all at once. She was grateful that, externally, she remained cool and collected.

“I see,” he said flatly. Silence built between them, and Rey wanted nothing more than to either hit him upside the head or burst into tears. “Well then, you probably know why I’m here then.”

“No,” she replied, “I don’t.”

He seemed genuinely confused by her statement. His brow furrowed, and his dark eyes looked anywhere but at hers. “I did it for you.”

“For me?” The words tumbled out of Rey’s mouth before she could stop them. She chided herself for not holding her tongue and interrupting him.

“Yes,” he said, still looking to the floor. “What I wrote was true. Even before you came and-” _screamed at you, belittled you, made a fool of myself_ , Rey’s mind supplied- “put some sense into me, I had decided. You helped me see that I was wrong. I was selfish, immature, and entirely fixated on seeking revenge on the past. It seems so obvious now, but… it took meeting you for me to see the truth.”

Rey stared at him, and she fidgeted with the hem of her blouse. He continued. “I felt so guilty then, for having involved innocent people into my rage-induced blindness. And then, even worse, I was overcome with regret when I realized that I had made you contemplate giving up your new, true home. I deserved everything that was coming to me. So why didn’t you tell Hux?”

Now, he was staring at her. Their eyes locked, and his amber globes looked as though they were searching hers for the answer to his question. Her confidence was shattered, and now she battled to keep from crying. “Because what I told you that day was true.”

“Do you still feel that way? For me?”

“Yes.” The word flew from her mouth without hesitation, without second thought. And she knew it was whole-heartedly true. Even knowing all that she knew, she had still loved him. That love had fueled her hope for him, and had kept her from Hux’s office. And now it was the same love that filled her with dread, fearing the inevitable rejection that was sure to find her here.

He sat with that admission for a moment, his eyes breaking from hers to close. He nodded his head slowly, processing, before his eyelids floated open once more. “I need you to understand something, Rey.” Her heart was in her throat. This was it, this was the moment that he ended it, told her that she was a mistake and that he would rather go on without her. They would forever pass each other awkwardly in town, and avoid each other at his mother’s weekly dinners. She was going to lose him, after she had held out for so long to see him come home.

“Rey,” he repeated her name softly. “What I did, it was because of you. But not because I wanted something from you; I did it _for_ you. Because the moment you arrived here, I was captivated by you. That’s why I came back- because Kylo Ren couldn’t get your beautiful freckled face out of his head. Instantly, I screwed it up. But you let me make it right, and despite every warning you received you still gave me a chance. It was the first chance I had been given in a long time, and it meant more to me than I could ever tell you.

“You let me in, you made me laugh, and you made me realize that maybe, despite everything I had always believed, maybe I had a future. A future with smiles like the sunrise and laughter like the cool breeze; a future where someone meant as much to me as I meant to them. A future where I would mess up, and I would make mistakes, but would be met with patience and understanding like I had never known before. When I kissed you, Rey, I realized that I was hopelessly in love with you, and that terrified me.”

“Then why did you go?” She asked. “You ran off, and I was so confused…”

“I went to hide behind the mask,” he explained. “Ben Solo couldn't cope with what he was feeling. Kylo Ren could.” His features darkened as he alluded to that week, oh so long ago. Rey hated to think what he had done during that time.

More silence. Rey had so many questions, so many things she wanted to say, but none of them seemed right. She just let his admission hang there, and he was the one to continue. “The night you left, I was going to stay. I promise you, I was. But as I laid there, thinking about all the things I had done… it didn’t feel right. To just sweep it under the rug, and hide behind Kylo Ren’s mask for the rest of my life… I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.”

“So that’s why you left,” she filled in the blanks. “To return what you had taken.”

“All of it. Every last piece.”

She stared at him with awe in her eyes. He had done all of that for her. He had traveled over hill and dale to make things right both by the people he hurt, and by her. The sheer devotion of it all, the dedication to earning her forgiveness; it made her heart sing out in ways she never knew possible.

“Rey,” now he stood up, and walked over to where she was sitting. She stood instinctively, rising to meet his imposing stature. He towered over her like an oak tree, and she trembled beneath him. “If you still have any patience left for me, or if your offer still stands, I want to choose you. I want my future to be with you. Even if you don't feel that way anymore, or if you feel you can’t forgive me, I want a future with you in my life, somewhere. I love you, Rey. I would do anything for you.”

He stared down into her face, his eyes searching for any sign of her answer. And she looked up at him, desperately trying to memorize the way he looked at her, the words he said, in case this all was just the greatest dream she would ever have. And then, with more confidence than she had ever had in her life, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Instantly, he pushed down deeper into the kiss. It was desperate, and passionate, and conveyed to Rey just how _badly_ he had wanted this. He wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. All of their conversations, all of the laughter, all of the heartache and worry- all of it had led them to this. And it had been so worth it. Pulling away, Rey couldn’t help but giggle as he shot her his impossibly bright, lopsided grin.

“I love you,” she beamed at him, her heart swelling with joy, “my greatest adventure.”

“And you,” he grinned from ear to ear, “are my beautiful future.”


	14. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Thank you all for taking the time to read this fic, and for sticking with me through inconsistent uploads and long gaps. I really hope you enjoyed, and I hope that I may see you again in the future. Until we meet again!

Summertime air moseyed across the town of Tatooine serenely, bringing the smell of growing foliage and impending heat waves with it. In the town square, not a sound could be heard, save for the occasional shutter bumping against the wall of the saloon in the breeze. And at the Skywalker’s ranch, not a person was to be found there. Indeed, to any outsider who happened upon the small town of Tatooine, it would have appeared as a ghost town.

But for those who knew it well, who occupied its streets and its land, the town was alive. It seemed that every soul that made its home in Tatooine had journeyed out to the late Ben Kenobi’s land, and was gathered in the yard behind the house. In front of them all, a large wooden arch had been constructed, and flowers had been carefully placed throughout its intricate lattice work.

“You look absolutely stunning, my dear!” Maz Bacca cooed from the doorway to Rey’s bedroom. The two other women who surrounded the now twenty-one year old squealed in agreement, making Rey both laugh and flush at the flood of compliments. They seemed to move in unison, working effortlessly to ensure that every part of her was appropriately tended to.

“Thank you all,” Rey said. “But really, I don’t see why we had to make all this fuss. We really could have just had Hux sign the certificate…”

Now the room erupted into disagreements. “Absolutely not!” Leia exclaimed. “It is not every day that his town has such a wonderful occasion. We have to celebrate!”

“You make such a beautiful bride,” Rose added, “it would be a _crime_ not to show you off to the world!”

“I have money saying that Solo bursts into tears when he sees you,” Maz chimed in. “But Chewie disagrees- he bets that he’ll faint on the spot.” Now it was all four women’s turn to laugh. 

“It seems there were a lot of wagers made about you two,” Rose giggled.

“Don’t remind me,” Rey groaned.

“I never forget, Rey Johnson!” Rose continued to laugh. “I’ve had my eye on a particularly expensive reel of fabric for quite some time now…” Rey rolled her eyes, joining in with the young girls giggles. All four women continued to chatter and laugh together as they put the finishing touches on Rey’s hair, makeup, and dress. Rose had sewn it for her- it was a simple white gown, but it made Rey feel like a princess.

Several moments later, a knock was heard against the bedroom door. “No peaking, Solo!” Maz screamed, eliciting more laughter from the girls inside the room.

“It’s just me,” Luke’s voice could be heard on the other side of the door. Begrudgingly, Maz opened it a crack to make sure it was, in fact, Luke Skywalker. When it was, she allowed him in. “I promise I won’t spoil the surprise, Rey. I just came to tell you that we’re ready when you are.”

Leia stopped adjusting the hem of Rey’s gown to look at her brother. “I think we’re ready. Tell Han that we can start the procession. Holler up once Ben’s out there, and before you walk out.” Luke nodded that he understood, before the door closed once again.

“You ready?” Rose asked Rey eagerly.

“No,” Rey answered honestly. “I kind of feel sick.”

“Good,” Leia chimed in, “that means you’re ready.” The three married woman laughed together.

“I almost passed out when Hux and I tied the knot,” Rose offered. “And that was just in a little courthouse in Waco! But I was so happy once it was over.” The dark-haired girl placed a hand on Rey’s shoulder comfortingly, and she smiled in response. If anything, it was of great comfort knowing that these three women would always be there for her, no matter what happened.

Rey was ushered downstairs fairly quickly, and each girl wished Rey good luck as they walked out. Rose, the maid of honor, walked out with Poe, the best man. Leia of course walked out with Han, and Maz walked out with Chewie. Finally, Armitage exited the house with his and Rose’s little boy in his arms, the rings proudly displayed on a pillow half-held by his tiny son.

Peeping out the window as each of them took their spots next to the arch, Rey smiled as she watched the very nervous-looking Ben Solo fidget with the sleeves of his suit beside the ever-stoic officiant, Luke. “Well, peanut,” Finn walked up to Rey, holding out his arm. “You ready?”

“You bet I am,” she beamed, wrapping her arm around Finn’s. When the door to the house opened, every eye turned to stare as the bride made her way to the alter. But Rey’s eyes only looked for one person, who’s dark eyes welled with tears of love and hope. It looked as though Maz would win her bet with Chewie.

It was a beautiful ceremony. Luke conducted it flawlessly, and there was not a single dry eye in the town as the bride and groom shared their vows. The promises of a warm, happy future and unity through life’s many adventures had Rey’s cheeks wet with the happiest of tears. Ben couldn’t keep his eyes off of Rey, and the town laughed as he begged Luke to hurry things along so he could kiss his wife. Rey reeled at the term. _His wife,_ she thought to herself. _I’m the luckiest woman alive._

When Ben Solo finally kissed Rey “I do,” Tatooine was filled with cheers. Everyone celebrated, and the wedding reception brought merriment and laughter long into the night.

It was from that day forward that the Kenobi-Solo ranch went down in history as one of the happiest places in the west.


End file.
